Integrated TE and TM optical circulators on ultra-low-loss silicon nitride platform

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. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America