Experimental demonstration of broadband Lorentz non-reciprocity in an integrable photonic architecture based on Mach-Zehnder modulators.

Lorentz reciprocity is a direct consequence of Maxwell equations governing the propagation of light in passive linear media with symmetric permittivity and permeability tensors. Here, we demonstrate the first active optical isolator and circulator implemented in a linear and reciprocal material platform using commercial Mach-Zehnder modulators. In a proof-of-principle experiment based on single-mode polarization-maintaining fibers, we achieve more than 12.5 dB isolation over an unprecedented 8.7 THz bandwidth at telecommunication wavelengths, with only 9.1 dB total insertion loss. Our architecture provides a practical answer to the challenge of non-reciprocal light routing in photonic integrated circuits.

[1]  Nadine Gottschalk,et al.  Fundamentals Of Photonics , 2016 .

[2]  G. Lo,et al.  A high-responsivity photodetector absent metal-germanium direct contact. , 2014, Optics express.

[3]  D Vermeulen,et al.  Silicon photonics broadband modulation-based isolator. , 2014, Optics express.

[4]  Shanhui Fan,et al.  Photonic Aharonov–Bohm effect in photon–phonon interactions , 2014, Nature Communications.

[5]  G. Lo,et al.  A single adiabatic microring-based laser in 220 nm silicon-on-insulator. , 2014, Optics express.

[6]  Tetsuya Mizumoto,et al.  Magneto-optical non-reciprocal devices in silicon photonics , 2014, Science and technology of advanced materials.

[7]  Tom Baehr Jones,et al.  50 Gb/s silicon traveling wave Mach-Zehnder modulator near 1300 nm , 2013, OFC 2014.

[8]  Juejun Hu,et al.  Magneto-Optical Thin Films for On-Chip Monolithic Integration of Non-Reciprocal Photonic Devices , 2013, Materials.

[9]  Guo-Qiang Lo,et al.  Ultra-Responsive Phase Shifters for Depletion Mode Silicon Modulators , 2013, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[10]  Zongfu Yu,et al.  What is — and what is not — an optical isolator , 2013, Nature Photonics.

[11]  Michael Hochberg,et al.  Broadband on-chip optical non-reciprocity using phase modulators. , 2013, Optics express.

[12]  Yi Zhang,et al.  A CMOS-compatible silicon photonic platform for high-speed integrated opto-electronics , 2013, Microtechnologies for the New Millennium.

[13]  Guo-Qiang Lo,et al.  50-Gb/s silicon optical modulator with traveling-wave electrodes. , 2013, Optics express.

[14]  Jian Wang,et al.  Silicon optical diode with 40 dB nonreciprocal transmission. , 2013, Optics letters.

[15]  Tetsuya Mizumoto,et al.  Adhesively bonded Ce:YIG/SOI integrated optical circulator. , 2013, Optics letters.

[16]  G. Lo,et al.  A compact and low loss Y-junction for submicron silicon waveguide. , 2013, Optics express.

[17]  Zongfu Yu,et al.  Realizing effective magnetic field for photons by controlling the phase of dynamic modulation , 2012, Nature Photonics.

[18]  M. Krause,et al.  Measurement of nonreciprocal stimulated Raman scattering in silicon photonic wires , 2012, The 9th International Conference on Group IV Photonics (GFP).

[19]  M. Lipson,et al.  Subject Areas : Optics A Viewpoint on : Electrically Driven Nonreciprocity Induced by Interband Photonic Transition on a Silicon Chip , 2012 .

[20]  J. Bowers,et al.  Passive technologies for future large-scale photonic integrated circuits on silicon: polarization handling, light non-reciprocity and loss reduction , 2012, Light: Science & Applications.

[21]  D. Thomson,et al.  50-Gb/s Silicon Optical Modulator , 2012, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[22]  Yi Xuan,et al.  An All-Silicon Passive Optical Diode , 2012, Science.

[23]  R Baets,et al.  Ce:YIG/Silicon-on-Insulator waveguide optical isolator realized by adhesive bonding. , 2012, Optics express.

[24]  Zongfu Yu,et al.  Comment on “Nonreciprocal Light Propagation in a Silicon Photonic Circuit” , 2012, Science.

[25]  Dong Hun Kim,et al.  On-chip optical isolation in monolithically integrated non-reciprocal optical resonators , 2011 .

[26]  Nicolas Dupuis,et al.  Optical isolator using two tandem phase modulators. , 2011, Optics letters.

[27]  J. Bowers,et al.  Silicon ring isolators with bonded nonreciprocal magneto-optic garnets. , 2011, Optics express.

[28]  Michal Lipson,et al.  Optical nonreciprocity in optomechanical structures. , 2009, Physical review letters.

[29]  Zongfu Yu,et al.  Complete optical isolation created by indirect interband photonic transitions , 2008, OPTO.

[30]  Tetsuya Mizumoto,et al.  Magneto-optical isolator with silicon waveguides fabricated by direct bonding , 2008 .

[31]  Rajeev J Ram,et al.  Semiconductor Waveguide Isolators , 2008, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[32]  Liesbet Lagae,et al.  Transverse magnetic mode nonreciprocal propagation in an amplifying AlGaInAs/InP optical waveguide isolator , 2006 .

[33]  H. Shimizu,et al.  Fabrication and characterization of an InGaAsP/InP active waveguide optical isolator with 14.7 dB/mm TE mode nonreciprocal attenuation , 2006, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[34]  D. Sandel,et al.  Novel nonmagnetic 30-dB traveling-wave single-sideband optical isolator integrated in III/V material , 2005, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

[35]  Jisoo Hwang,et al.  Electro-tunable optical diode based on photonic bandgap liquid-crystal heterojunctions , 2005, Nature materials.

[36]  T. Shintaku.  Integrated optical isolator based on efficient nonreciprocal radiation mode conversion , 1998 .

[37]  Tetsuya Mizumoto,et al.  Verification of waveguide type optical circulator operation , 1990 .