Frontiers in microphotonics: tunability and all-optical control

The miniaturization of optical devices and their integration for creating adaptive and reconfigurable photonic integrated circuits requires affective platforms and methods to control light over very short distances. We present here several techniques and objects that we have developed to harness light at the sub micrometer scale. These new tools include planar photonic crystal on nonlinear chalcogenide glasses, tapered silica fibres, optofluidics and optical trapping. Their association could provide the basic building blocks of completely new architectures and platforms that would have an impact on numerous applications, from optical logic to sensing.