Collaborative Research: Planar Magnetic Photonic Crystals

密歇根理工大学（MTU）和西南德克萨斯州立大学（SWT）之间的合作项目侧重于磁性氧化物波导光子晶体的制造和测试，用于新型集成光子器件原型设计。基于光子晶体独特的光学带隙特性，该项目响应了人们对光子晶体器件应用日益增长的兴趣。虽然在非磁性介质中制备了各种新型的光学带隙结构，用于高效波导、滤波和谐振器的应用，但对磁性系统中的光子晶体的研究很少，对单片平面磁光子晶体的研究也很少。本项目主要研究磁光子晶体在铁氧体波导上的电子束图像化，用于新一代集成光隔离器件。磁性氧化物，如钇铁石榴石（YIG）的非互反性质，使这些材料成为光学隔离器和环行器制造的独特选择。光纤通信已经发展到这样一个地步，为了降低局域网和远距离数据传输的成本，不同光器件的单片集成是一个严重的问题。然而，利用非平面几何的传统系统既笨重又昂贵。光子晶体结构为解决这一问题提供了一种新的选择，因为它们可以显著增强法拉第响应，使建造更小、更便宜的隔离器和环行器成为可能，这是目前正在探索的集成隔离器类型之外的一代。该计划将专注于在rf溅射铋取代YIG薄膜上制造图案脊波导，特别强调通过最小化双折射来实现优越的光学隔离。它还将探索平顶传动装置的制造。通过在芯片上建立磁性光子晶体的实际实现，该项目还将有助于光学滤波器、用于磁光记录的高效克尔反射器和模式转换器的发展。

This collaborative project between Michigan Technological University (MTU) and Southwest Texas State University (SWT) focuses on the fabrication and testing of waveguide photonic crystals in magnetic oxides for novel integrated photonic device prototyping. The project responds to the growing interest in photonic crystals for device applications based on their unique optical band gap properties. While various novel optical band gap structures have been fabricated in non-magnetic dielectric media for highly efficient waveguiding, filtering and resonator applications, very little work has been done on photonic crystals in magnetic systems and no work exists on monolithic planar magnetophotonic crystals. This project will focus on the electron-beam patterning of magnetic photonic crystals on ferrite waveguides for a new generation of integrated optical isolator devices. The non-reciprocal properties of magnetic oxides, such as yttrium iron garnet (YIG), make these materials a unique choice for optical isolator and circulator fabrication. Optical fiber telecommunications have developed to the point where the monolithic integration of different optical components is a serious issue to reduce costs in local area networks and long-distance data transmittal. However, conventional systems utilizing non-planar geometries are both bulky and expensive. Photonic crystal structures provide a novel alternative to address this problem since they can significantly enhance the Faraday response, making it possible to build smaller and cheaper isolators and circulators, a generation beyond the types of integrated isolators being explored at present. The proposed program will concentrate on the fabrication of patterned ridge waveguides on rf-sputtered bismuth-substituted YIG films, with special emphasis on achieving superior optical isolation by minimizing birefringence. It will also explore the fabrication of flat top transmission devices. By establishing the practical implementation of magnetic photonic crystals on chip, the project will also contribute to the development of optical filters, highly efficient Kerr reflectors for magneto-optic recording and mode converters.