We used voxels of an intensely modified refractive index generated by multiphoton absorption at the focus of femtosecond laser pulses in Ge-doped silica as photonic atoms to build photonic lattices. The voxels were spatially organized in the same way as atoms arrayed in actual crystals, and a Bragg-like diffraction from the photonic atoms was evidenced by a photonic bandgap (PBG) effect Postfabrication annealing was found to be essential for reducing random scattering and therefore enhancing PEG. This technique has an intrinsic capability of individually addressing single atoms. Therefore the introduction of defect structures was much facilitated, making the technique quite appealing for photonic research and applications. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America. [References: 17]
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