title: Mode junction photonics with a symmetry-breaking arrangement of mode-orthogonal heterostructures.
abstract: Junction structures provide the foundation of digital electronics and spintronics today. An equivalent, a photonic junction to achieve systematic and drastic control of photon flow is currently missing, but is mandatory for serious all-optical signal processing. Here we propose a photonic junction built upon mode-orthogonal hetero-structures, as a fundamental structural unit for photonic integrated circuits. Controlling the optical potential of mode-orthogonal junctions, the flow of photons can be dynamically manipulated, to complete the correspondence to the electronic junction structures. Of the possible applications, we provide examples of a photonic junction diode and a multi-junction half-adder, with exceptional performance metrics. Highly directional (41dB), nearly unity throughput, ultra-low threshold-power, high quality signal regeneration at 200Gb/s, and all-optic logic operations are successfully derived with the self-induced, bi-level dynamic mode-conversion process across the junction.
authors.affiliation: School of EECS, Seoul National Univ., Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sunkyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xianji
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.forename: Sukmo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Jung H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Seung Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Bumki
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Namkyoo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008027:Light; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D055096:Optical Devices; D010783:Photometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017785:Photons; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012666:Semiconductors