Unidirectional Transmission Based on a Passive PT Symmetric Grating With a Nonlinear Silicon Distributed Bragg Reflector Cavity

Abstract

A silicon waveguide consisting of passive parity-time (PT) symmetry optical potentials connected with a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR)-based resonator is proposed to achieve nonreciprocal waveguide transmission. The unidirectional reflectionless waveguide implementing PT symmetry is discussed by consistent coupling mode theory and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation results. Due to the high field confinement in the DBR cavity, transmission of a light pulse through the device is analyzed in the nonlinear optical regime using FDTD simulations. The combination of the nonlinear DBR cavity and the passive PT symmetric grating results in unidirectional transmission in the silicon waveguide, while still keeping the reflection minimum in the desired direction. The numerical simulation shows an extinction ratio of about 20 dB at the telecom wavelength of around 1550 nm.