title: Integrated TE and TM optical circulators on ultra-low-loss silicon nitride platform.
abstract: In this paper, we present two four-port optical circulators for TE and TM modes, respectively. Exploiting the recent technological development concerning Ce:YIG pulse laser deposition on silicon nitride platform, we design two integrated circulators, which can be used to implement several functions in integrated optics, such as de-interleavers, input/output amplifier isolators and output laser isolators. The proposed devices combine the benefit of low loss silicon nitride waveguides with the non-reciprocal properties of magneto-optical materials. The ring cross-section has been optimized in order to maximize the non-reciprocal phase shift and finally the scattering coefficients have been computed using the transfer matrix method. The material stability and refractive index regularity of silicon nitride, the small micro-ring footprint, and the high wavelength selectivity make these devices particularly attractive.
authors.affiliation: Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy. paolo.pintus@sssup.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pintus
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Pasquale
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bowers
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017655:Silicon Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018511:Systems Integration; D014159:Transducers
chemical_list: D017655:Silicon Compounds; C032734:silicon nitride