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The Faraday effect due to the cyclotron resonance of conduction electrons in semiconductor InSb allows for nonreciprocity of transmitted light in our Faraday THz isolator operating in the presence of a small magnetic field. We select InSb as an efficient medium for our isolator due to its high electron mobility, low electron effective mass, and narrow band gap. Experimental measurements of the isolator performance indicate a maximum achieved isolation power of 18.8 dB with an insertion loss of −12.6 dB. Our optical analysis of the device points to a remarkablenonreciprocalFabry-Perot effect in the magneto-optical InSb layer as the origin of the multi-fold isolation enhancement. This nonreciprocity occurs as the Fabry-Perot reflections in the forward direction add constructively and enhance the transmittance at certain frequencies, while the Fabry-Perot reflections in the backward direction add destructively and suppress the transmittance at the same frequencies.
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All-optical nonreciprocity due to valley polarization pumping in transition metal dichalcogenides
Abstract Nonreciprocity and nonreciprocal optical devices play a vital role in modern photonic technologies by enforcing one-way propagation of light. Here, we demonstrate an all-optical approach to nonreciprocity based on valley-selective response in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). This approach overcomes the limitations of magnetic materials and it does not require an external magnetic field. We provide experimental evidence of photoinduced nonreciprocity in a monolayer WS2pumped by circularly polarized (CP) light. Nonreciprocity stems from valley-selective exciton population, giving rise to nonlinear circular dichroism controlled by CP pump fields. Our experimental results reveal a significant effect even at room temperature, despite considerable intervalley-scattering, showing promising potential for practical applications in magnetic-free nonreciprocal platforms. As an example, here we propose a device scheme to realize an optical isolator based on a pass-through silicon nitride (SiN) ring resonator integrating the optically biased TMD monolayer.
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- PAR ID:
- 10250757
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Volume:
- 12
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2041-1723
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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