Optical thin-film reflection filters based on the theory of photonic crystals

Based on the theory of photonic crystals and the framework of a single-channel reflection filter that we presented before, structures of reflection filters with multiple channels are proposed. These structures can overcome some drawbacks of conventional multichannel transmission filters and are much easier to fabricate. We have practically fabricated the reflection filters with two and three channels, and the tested results show approximate agreement with theoretical simulation. Moreover, the superprism effect is also simulated in the single-channel reflection filter, the superiorities to transmission filters are discussed, and these analyses may shed some light on new applications of reflection filters in optical communication and other systems.