Area scalable optically induced photorefractive photonic microstructures

•We fabricate area scalable photonic microstructures in LiNbO3:Fe crystal.•The approach is quite compact and stable without complex optical alignment equipment.•The induced large-area microstructures are analyzed and verified by various means.•The photonic microstructures can be fixed or erased even re-recorded in the crystal.•Other more complex area scalable microstructures can be fabricated with this method.

A convenient approach to fabricate area scalable two-dimensional photonic microstructures was experimentally demonstrated by multi-face optical wedges. The approach is quite compact and stable without complex optical alignment equipment. Large-area square lattice microstructures are optically induced inside an iron-doped lithium niobate photorefractive crystal. The induced large-area microstructures are analyzed and verified by plane wave guiding, Brillouin-zone spectroscopy, angle-dependent transmission spectrum, and lateral Bragg reflection patterns. The method can be easily extended to generate other more complex area scalable photonic microstructures, such as quasicrystal lattices, by designing the multi-face optical wedge appropriately. The induced area scalable photonic microstructures can be fixed or erased even re-recorded in the photorefractive crystal, which suggests potential applications in micro-nano photonic devices.