Thermo-optical response of photonic crystal cavities operating in the visible spectral range

In this paper we study thermo-optical effects in gallium phosphite photonic crystal cavities in the visible range. By measuring the shift of narrow resonances, we derive the temperature dependency of the local refractive index of gallium phosphide in an attoliter volume over a temperature range between 5 and 300 K at a wavelength of about 605 nm. Additionally, the potential of photonic crystal cavities for thermo-optical switching of visible light is investigated. As an example we demonstrate thermo-optical switching with 13 dB contrast. (paper)