Optically-Driven Optical Isolation and Magnetism in an Integrated Photonic Platform

In this research proposal, we investigated new device architectures that will enable optically-driven,on-chip nanophotonic isolators with micron-scale footprints and low power requirements for control. The continued evolution of integrated photonics demands increasingly compact, power efficient devices that provide sophisticated functionalities for next generation applications. Common needs appearing across several fields include all-optical control, optical memory, and non-reciprocity. For instance, the emerging field of photonic neuromorphic computing relies on integrated optical memories as photonic synapses for self-tailored signal transmission through neural networks. In integrated LIDAR and photonic circuits, isolation is vital to protect light sources and prevent crosstalk.In topological photonics, breaking time-reversal symmetry through magnetic biasing or complex temporal modulation is required for robust edge state protection. By using optical drives and micron-scale photonics structures instead of magnets and millimeter-scale photonic structures, we can significantly improve the integration of these devices. Our methodology relies on optical spin-orbit coupling (OSOC) in nanophotonic structures coupled to 2D materials as a mechanism to break time-reversal symmetry and enable isolation. While, there are other actively-investigated approaches to generating non-reciprocity in photonics without magnetic fields, such as topological photonics, balanced gain-loss systems, electro-optic modulators, and coupled non-near oscillators, we our approach is intrinsically simple and compact, and utilizes micron-scale ring- and disk-resonators and lineardriving fields to create new technologies.