Slow light in photonic crystals

Slow light with a remarkably low group velocity is a promising solution for buffering and time-domain processing of optical signals. It also offers the possibility for spatial ompression of optical energy and the enhancement of linear and nonlinear optical effects. Photonic crystal devices are especially attractive for generating slow light as they are compatible with on-chip integration and room temperature operation and can offer wide-bandwidth and dispersion-free propagation. This paper reviews the background theory, recent experimental demonstrations and progress towards tunable slow-light structures based on photonic-band engineering. Practical issues related to real devices and their applications are also discussed