Photonic Crystal Magneto-Optical Circulator and Manufacturing Method Thereof

• US 20130223805A1
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen University (Guangdong Education Department)
• Original Assignee: Zhengbiao Ouyang
• Inventors: Ouyang, Zhengbiao, Wang, Qiong
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/130
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12157 Isolator
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02 Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/036 core or cladding comprising multiple layers multicore optical fibres G02B6/02042; microstructured properties G02B6/02295; omniguide fibres G02B6/023
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/10 of the optical waveguide type G02B6/02, G02B6/24 take precedence; devices or arrangements for the control of light by electric, magnetic, electro-magnetic or acoustic means G02F1/00; transferring the modulation of modulated light G02F2/00; optical logic elements G02F3/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1225 comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/38 Circulators

Abstract

The invention relates to a photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator, which comprises first dielectric material columns in an air background, wherein the first dielectric material columns are arranged in the form of two-dimensional square lattice. The photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator also comprises a “T-shaped” or a “cross-shaped” photonic crystal waveguide, a second dielectric material column, four same magneto-optical material columns and at least three same third dielectric material columns, wherein the “T-shaped” or a “cross-shaped” photonic crystal waveguide comprises a horizontal photonic crystal waveguide and a vertical photonic crystal waveguide which are intercrossed; the second dielectric material column is arranged at a cross-connected position of the horizontal photonic crystal waveguide and the vertical photonic crystal waveguide and has the function of light guiding; the four same magneto-optical material columns are uniformly arranged on the periphery of the second dielectric material column; and at least three same third dielectric material columns.

Claims

1. A photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator comprising first dielectric material columns in an air background,

wherein,

said first dielectric material Pateros amounts but in said photonic crystal are arranged in the form of two-dimensional square lattices;

each said first dielectric material column occupies one of said square lattices;

the center-to-center distance between any two adjacent horizontal or vertical said first dielectric material columns is one lattice constant;

and the photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator also comprising

a “

T-shaped”

or a “

cross-shaped”

photonic crystal waveguide comprising a horizontal photonic crystal waveguide and a vertical photonic crystal waveguide which are mutually cross-connected;

a second dielectric material column arranged at a cross-connected position of said horizontal photonic crystal waveguide and said vertical photonic crystal waveguide and having the function of light guiding;

four same magneto-optical material columns uniformly arranged on the periphery of said second dielectric material column; and

at least three same third dielectric material columns respectively arranged on the outsides of three said magneto-optical material columns.

2. The photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator according to claim 1, wherein said horizontal photonic crystal waveguide and said vertical photonic crystal waveguide which are mutually cross-connected are combined into a “

T-shaped”

photonic crystal waveguide;

said “

T-shaped”

photonic crystal waveguide comprises three ports;

said third dielectric material column which is arranged at the outside of each said magneto-optical material column and is arranged in the axial direction of each port respectively; and

an air-point-defect cavity is arranged at the outside of a fourth said magneto-optical material column.

3. The photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator according to claim 1, wherein said horizontal photonic crystal waveguide and said vertical photonic crystal waveguide which are mutually cross-connected are combined into a “

cross-shaped”

photonic crystal waveguide;

said “

cross-shaped”

photonic crystal waveguide comprises four ports; and

one said third dielectric material column is arranged at the outside of each said magneto-optical material column and is arranged in the axial direction of each port respectively.

4. The photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator according to claim 1, wherein said first dielectric material columns, said second dielectric material column and said third dielectric material columns are all made of silicon materials which have a refractive index of 3.4;

and

said first dielectric material columns, said second dielectric material column and said third dielectric material columns are different in radius.

5. The photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator according to claim 2, wherein said horizontal photonic crystal waveguide and said vertical photonic crystal waveguide are respectively formed by removing a row of said first dielectric material columns and a column of said first dielectric material columns respectively from said photonic crystal;

the length of said horizontal photonic crystal waveguide of said “

T-shaped”

photonic crystal waveguide is na; and

the length of said vertical photonic crystal waveguide of said “

T-shaped”

photonic crystal waveguide is (n−

1)a/2, wherein “

a”

represents said lattice constant of said photonic crystal and “

n”

is 9, 11, 13 or 15.

6. The photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator according to claim 3, wherein said horizontal photonic crystal waveguide and said vertical photonic crystal waveguide are respectively formed by removing a row of said first dielectric material columns and a column of said first dielectric material columns respectively from said photonic crystal;

and

the lengths of both said horizontal photonic crystal waveguide and said vertical photonic crystal waveguide of said “

cross-shaped”

photonic crystal waveguide are na, wherein “

a”

represents said lattice constant of said photonic crystal and “

n”

is 9, 11, 13 or 15.

7. The photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator according to claim 1, wherein four said magneto-optical material columns are distributed at four lattices most adjacent to said second dielectric material column;

and

the center-to-center distance between each said magneto-optical material column and said second dielectric material column is one lattice constant.

8. The photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator according to claim 2, wherein said air-point-defect cavity is formed by removing one said first dielectric material column at a secondly adjacent lattice above said second dielectric material column.

9. The photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator according to claim 2, wherein three said third dielectric material columns are distributed at three secondly adjacent lattices on the left side, the lower side and the right side of said second dielectric material column;

and the center-to-center distance between each said third dielectric material column and said second dielectric material column is two lattice constants.

10. The photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator according to claim 3, wherein four said third dielectric material columns are distributed at the four lattices around said second dielectric material column;

and the center-to-center distance between each said third dielectric material column and said second dielectric material column is two lattice constant.

11. A method for manufacturing a photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator, wherein the manufacturing method comprises the following steps:

(1) the operating wavelength λ

of said photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator is given;

said first dielectric material columns arranged two-dimensionally in the form of square lattice are selected to form a photonic crystal; and

the radius of said first dielectric material columns is selected to guarantee that the operating wavelength is within the forbidden band range of said photonic crystal;

(2) said horizontal photonic crystal waveguide and said vertical photonic crystal waveguide are respectively formed by removing a row of said first dielectric material columns and a column of said first dielectric material columns and are in a cross-connected arrangement;

said second dielectric material column is introduced into a cross-connected position of said horizontal photonic crystal waveguide and said vertical photonic crystal waveguide of said photonic crystal waveguide to form a light guiding column;

same said magneto-optical material columns are respectively introduced into three most adjacent lattices on the left, the lower side and the right of said second dielectric material column;

a most adjacent said first dielectric material column above said second dielectric material column is removed; and

one magneto-optical material column which is the same with said three magneto-optical material columns is introduced thereon.

12. The method for manufacturing the photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator according to claim 11, wherein the manufacturing method further comprises step three:

an air-point-defect cavity is formed by removing one said first dielectric material column at a secondly adjacent lattice above said second dielectric material column; and

same said third dielectric material columns are respectively introduced into three secondly adjacent lattices on the left, the lower side and the right of said second dielectric material column.

13. The method for manufacturing the photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator according to claim 11, wherein the manufacturing method also comprises the following step:

same said third dielectric material columns are respectively introduced into four secondly adjacent lattices on the left side, the lower side, the right side and the upper side of said second dielectric material column.

14. The method for manufacturing the photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator according to claim 11, wherein the ratio of the radius of said first dielectric material columns to the operating wavelength is r₁/λ

=0.07.

15. The method for manufacturing the photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator according to claim 12, wherein the work efficiency of said magneto-optical circulator under the operating wavelength λ

is adjusted by changing the radius r₂ of said second dielectric material column, the radius r_m of said magneto-optical material columns and the radius r₃ of said third dielectric material columns;

and the dimension parameters under the work efficiency are as follows;

the ratios of the radius of said second dielectric material column, the radius of said magneto-optical material columns and the radius of said third dielectric material columns to the operating wavelength are r₂/λ

=0.125, r_m/λ

=0.09 and r₃/λ

=0.02, respectively.

16. The method for manufacturing the photonic crystal magneto-optical circulator according to claim 13, wherein the work efficiency of said magneto-optical circulator under the operating wavelength λ

is adjusted by changing the radius r₂ of said second dielectric material column, the radius r_m of said magneto-optical material columns and the radius r₃ of said third dielectric material columns;

and the dimension parameters under the work efficiency are as follows;

the ratios of the radius of said second dielectric material column, the radius of said magneto-optical material columns and the radius of said third dielectric material columns to the operating wavelength are r₂/λ

=0.125, r_m/λ

=0.09 and r₃/λ

=0.02, respectively.