Photonic modes in a two-dimensional square-lattice photonic crystal (PC) with anisotropic gain are analyzed for the first time. A plane-wave expansion method is improved to include the gain, which depends on not only the position but also the propagation direction of each plane wave. The anisotropic gain varies the photonic band structure, the near-field distributions, and the gain dispersion curves through variation in PC symmetry. Low-threshold operation of a PC laser with anisotropic-gain material such as nonpolar InGaN requires that the direction of higher gain in the material aligns along the ΓX direction of the PC.
© 2011 Optical Society of America