Synthetic Magnetic Fields Steer Light On a Chip For Faster Communications

Researchers in China have created synthetic magnetic fields within silicon photonic crystals, allowing them to steer and control light on a chip with unprecedented precision. "Beyond immediate applications, the work opens new avenues for studying quantum-inspired phenomena with light," reports Phys.org. "The ability to impose artificial gauge fields in photonic systems could enable devices for optical computing, quantum information, and advanced communication technologies." Slashdot reader alternative_right shares an excerpt from the report: The team achieved this by systematically altering the symmetry of tiny repeating units in silicon photonic crystals. Adjusting the degree of local asymmetry at each point allowed them to 'design' pseudomagnetic fields with tailored spatial patterns, without breaking fundamental time-reversal symmetry. Both theoretical analysis and experiments confirmed that these engineered fields can guide and manipulate light in versatile ways. To demonstrate practical applications, the researchers built two devices commonly used in integrated optics. One was a compact S-shaped waveguide bend that transmitted light with less than 1.83 decibels of signal loss. The other was a power splitter that divided light into two equal paths with low excess loss and minimal imbalance. In a final test, the devices successfully transmitted a high-speed data stream at 140 gigabits per second using a standard telecommunications modulation format, showing that the technique is compatible with existing optical communication systems. The research has been published in Advanced Photonics.