Control of Fano line shapes by means of photonic crystal structures in a dye-doped polymer

The emission of a two-dimensional organic photonic crystal structure is investigated. A photon emitted by a molecule in this structure can take two different coupled pathways. It can either be emitted directly into the surroundings or first be transferred to a discrete state of the photonic crystal structure from where it is then emitted. This unique coupling of the pathways results in a particular asymmetric spectral line shape referred to as Fano resonance. By studying the Fano line shape as a function of the quality factor, the authors can gain insights into the coupling between the pathways within the photonic crystal structure. © 2007 American Institute of Physics.