ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we describe how coupled resonator systems can be used to stop light-that is, to controllably trap and release light pulses in localized, standing wave modes. The inspiration for this work lies in previous research on stopped light in atomic gases using electromagnetically induced transparency [1], in which light is captured in dark states of the atomic system via adiabatic tuning [2-4]. However, such atomic systems are severely constrained to operate only at particular wavelengths corresponding to available atomic resonances and have very limited bandwidth. The coupled resonator systems we study are amenable to fabrication in on-chip devices such as photonic crystals [5-9] or microring resonators [10]. As such, the operating wavelength and other operating parameters can be engineered to meet flexible specifications, such as for optical communications applications.
