An optical waveguide having a working mode with a tailored dispersion profile,
the waveguide including: (i) a dielectric confinement region surrounding a waveguide
axis, the confinement region comprising a photonic crystal having at least one
photonic bandgap, wherein during operation the confinement region guides EM radiation
in a first range of frequencies to propagate along the waveguide axis; (ii) a dielectric
core region extending along the waveguide axis and surrounded by the confinement
region about the waveguide axis, wherein the core supports at least one guided
mode in the first frequency range; and (iii) a dielectric dispersion tailoring
region surrounded by the confinement region about the waveguide axis, wherein the
dispersion tailoring region introduces one or more additional modes in the first
range of frequencies that interact with the guided mode to produce the working mode.
