High quality GaInP nonlinear photonic crystals with minimized nonlinear absorption

We have established a new material, indium gallium phosphide, lattice matched to gallium arsenide, for two-dimensional photonic crystals at 1.55 μm. We have demonstrated single-mode cavities with intrinsic Q-factor larger than one million and achieved very large self-phase-modulation coefficient 1.1×103 W1 m−1 in line-defect waveguides. Importantly, the material band gap is such that two-photon absorption, Eg>2ℏω, is completely suppressed at this important telecommunications wavelength.