PC waveguide switches on and off magnetically

March 1, 2010
In a photonic-crystal (PC) waveguide switch developed by scientists at Michigan Technological University, Integrated Photonics, and the Russian Academy of Sciences, the photonic bandgap is controlled magnetically, allowing switching via an external electromagnet.

In a photonic-crystal (PC) waveguide switch developed by scientists at Michigan Technological University (Houghton, MI), Integrated Photonics (Hillsborough, NJ), and the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia), the photonic bandgap is controlled magnetically, allowing switching via an external electromagnet. The PC material contains bismuth, gadolinium, lutetium, iron, and oxygen and is grown on a gadolinium-gallium-garnet substrate.

The waveguide is 1.2 mm long, 2.75 µm thick, and about 5 µm wide with a 200 µm long one-dimensional PC section that has a 343.4 nm grating period and a 700 nm grating depth. Light with a 1550 nm wavelength is coupled into a 900 µm long feeder section connected to the waveguide. Although the waveguide is multimode, about 95% of the input light is coupled into the fundamental mode. The small stress birefringence in the feeder is largely offset by its geometrical birefringence, enabling TE-TM coupling for the fundamental mode (and which is suppressed for higher modes). Switching the magnetization direction rotates the optical polarization, switching the light off or on. Insertion loss for the device is 5.4 dB; the on-to-off transmission ratio is about 9. Contact Miguel Levy at mlevy.mtu.edu.

More Laser Focus World Current Issue Articles
More Laser Focus World Archives Issue Articles

Sponsored Recommendations

March 31, 2025
Enhance your remote sensing capabilities with Chroma's precision-engineered optical filters, designed for applications such as environmental monitoring, geospatial mapping, and...
March 31, 2025
Designed for compatibility with a wide range of systems, Chroma's UV filters are engineered to feature high transmission, superior out-of-band blocking, steep edge transitions...
March 31, 2025
Discover strategies to balance component performance and system design, reducing development time and costs while maximizing efficiency.
March 31, 2025
Explore the essential role of optical filters in enhancing Raman spectroscopy measurements including the various filter types and their applications in improving signal-to-noise...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Laser Focus World, create an account today!