Collaborative Research: Planar Magnetic Photonic Crystals

这个由密歇根理工大学(MTU)和西南得克萨斯州立大学(SWT)合作的项目专注于制作和测试用于新型集成光子器件原型的磁性氧化物中的波导型光子晶体。该项目响应了人们对基于光子晶体独特的光学带隙特性的设备应用日益增长的兴趣。虽然人们已经在非磁性介质中制作了各种新型的光学带隙结构，用于高效的波导、滤波和谐振器应用，但对磁性系统中的光子晶体的研究还很少，对单片平面磁光子晶体的研究还很少。本项目将重点研究用于新一代集成光隔离器器件的铁氧体光波导上磁性光子晶体的电子束图案化。磁氧化物的非互易性质，如氧化钇铁石榴石(YIG)，使其成为制作光隔离器和环行器的独特选择。光纤通信已经发展到不同光学元件的单片集成是降低局域网和长途数据传输成本的一个严重问题。然而，使用非平面几何结构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替代方案，因为它们可以显著增强法拉第响应，使构建更小、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。拟议的计划将集中在射频溅射铋取代的YIG薄膜上制造图案化脊形波导，特别强调通过最小化双折射来实现优异的光学隔离。它还将探索平顶传输设备的制造。通过建立芯片上磁性光子晶体的实际实施，该项目还将有助于开发滤光器、用于磁光记录的高效克尔反射器和模式转换器。

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.