Highly efficient all-optical diode action based on light-tunneling heterostructures

Abstract

We theoretically investigate the feasibility of constructing compact and highly efficient all-optical diodes (AODs) based on light tunneling mechanism in heterostructures. Due to light tunneling behaviors in heterostructures with one-dimensional photonic crystals (1D PC) and lossy metallic film, not only very large nonlinear permittivity of metal can be utilized sufficiently but also the structures with strongly nonreciprocal electric field distributions can be constructed. Finally we design a composite structure consisting of 1D PC-metal heterostructures to achieve the optimal unidirectional light transmission with 0.984 transmission contrasts, 42% transmission and 0.93 GW/cm(2) operating light power at working wavelength 557.2nm.

All-optical diode with photonic multilayers based on asymmetric light localization

“…10 As an example, the nonlinear transmission spectra of the structure (AB) 6 (BA) 6 (BBAA) 6 for left and right incidence are shown in Fig. 1(a).…”

“…1(b) shows the different field distributions for both directions. Thus, it is because the asymmetric light localization caused by combing with part (BBAA) 6 that the bistability thresholds for both directions of photonic multilayer (AB) 6 (BA) 6 (BBAA) 6 are differentiated.…”

“…In recent years, various structures of AOD have been designed with different materials, such as metamaterials, [1][2][3] and the efficiency of AOD is characterized by the transmission contrast C = (T Left -T Right )/(T Left + T Right ). 4 To obtain a high transmission contrast in the structure of photonic multilayer, one way is to use the nonreciprocal reflection caused by nonlinear absorption of metal, 5,6 another way is to use the spatial asymmetry of the structure (e.g., Thue-Morse structure) with Kerr nonlinear dielectric materials. 7,8 However, the transmission of the AOD in the first way is relatively low because of the absorption of metal, and although high transmission can be reached in the spatial Thue-Morse structure with the second way, the structure is comparatively complicated when the generation number of the Thue-Morse structure becomes large, which limits its application in practical.…”

All-Optical Diode Action in Quasiperiodic Fibonacci Nanostructures

“…An all-optical diode (AOD) is a spatially nonreciprocal device that in the ideal case, for specic wave- To this end, a variety of structures have been used, including photonic crystal (PC) waveguides with embedded nonlinear defects [3], asymmetric multilayer structure consisting of two materials with positive and negative refractive indices [4], structures with an axially asymmetric nonlinear absorption [5], the ThueMorse superlattices [1], heterostructures consisting of metal layers [2], nanocomposite photonic crystal microcavities [6].…”

Tamm plasmon polaritons in multilayered cylindrical structures

“…13 TPPs have also been proposed for use in switches, 14 and highly efficient, unidirectional transmission in an all-optical diode has been demonstrated using the interface states between a one-dimensional photonic crystal structure of SiO 2 and TiO 2 and a thick layer of silver. 15 TPPs have been shown to exist at an interface between a photonic crystal and a magnetophotonic crystal 16 or a magnetic metal, 17 and the enhancement of Faraday rotation and sharp transmission peaks have been suggested as useful characteristics for magnetotunable filters.…”