Optical Properties of Protein-Embedded Photonic Crystal Slab
Yoshiko Okada-Shudo
We investigate the optical properties of photochromic protein bacteri-orhodopsin in corrugated periodic waveguides so-called one-dimensional photonic crystal slabs. Samples are prepared by embedding protein into quartz grating where the period is scale of light wavelength. Additional polymer layer is coated in order to support waveguide mode. We propose a scheme to achieve light controlled optical modulation or switching using the photo-induced refractive index change of bacteri-orhodopsin.