Measurement of a band-edge tail in the density of states of a photonic-crystal waveguide

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DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.86.155154
Reference S.R. Huisman, G. Ctistis, S. Stobbe, A.P. Mosk, J. Herek, A. Lagendijk, P. Lodahl, W.L. Vos and P.W.H. Pinkse, Measurement of a band-edge tail in the density of states of a photonic-crystal waveguide, Phys. Rev. B 86, (Article number: 155154), 1-5 (2012)

We measure localized and extended mode profiles at the band edge of
slow-light photonic-crystal waveguides using phase-sensitive near-field
microscopy. High-resolution band structures are obtained and interpreted,
allowing the retrieval of the optical density of states (DOS). This constitutes
a first observation of the DOS of a periodic system with weak disorder. The Van Hove singularity in the DOS expected at the band edge of an ideal 1D periodic structure is removed by the disorder. The Anderson-localized states form a “tail” in the density of states, as predicted by Lifshitz for solid-state
systems.