Molding light in two-dimensional photonic lattices

The photonic crystals fabricated from dielectric periodic structures are gaining attention by developing novel applications of photonic-crystal devices for all-optical signal processing and switching. In a two-dimensional periodic, optically induced photonic lattices, it is possible to use localization mechanisms to obtain self-trapped states with different mobility properties. A localized mode originates from the x-symmetry point of the lattice bandgap spectrum and possesses a reduced symmetry with highly anisotropic diffraction properties. The lattice is uniform in x and y axis and the direction of mobility is only determined by the symmetry of the localized state. The mode ability to move robustly along one particular direction of the lattice makes it useful in two dimensional flexible soliton network.