Various embodiments of the present invention are related to photonic systems and methods that can be used to encode data in carrier electromagnetic waves. In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for encoding data in carrier electromagnetic waves is provided. The method comprises: transmitting a number of carrier electromagnetic waves in a first waveguide; coupling one or more of the carrier electromagnetic waves into a resonant cavity of a photonic crystal coupled to the first waveguide; modulating the one or more carrier electromagnetic waves within the resonant cavity in order to generate data encoded electromagnetic waves; and coupling the data encoded electromagnetic waves into a second waveguide.