Open AccessTopologically protected beam splitters and logic gates based on two-dimensional silicon photonic crystal slabs
Author(s) -
Lingjuan He,
Hongzhu Ji,
Y J Wang,
X D Zhang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.409265
Subject(s) - beam splitter , xnor gate , optics , logic gate , nand gate , photonic crystal , robustness (evolution) , optoelectronics , optical computing , materials science , physics , computer science , electronic engineering , engineering , laser , biochemistry , chemistry , gene
The beam splitters are essential optical components that are widely used in various optical instruments. The robustness of beam splitters is very necessary to all-optical networks. Here we report the design of the topologically protected beam splitter, whose splitting ratio can change flexibly to an arbitrary ratio, such as 50:50, 33:67, 25:75, based on the two-dimensional silicon photonic crystal slab. By using the 50:50 beam splitter, all major logic gates (OR, AND, NOT, XOR, NAND, XNOR, and NOR) are suitably designed with the linear interference approach. Additionally, these devices exhibit robustness even though some disorders exist. It is expected that these robust and compact devices are potentially applicable in optical computing and signal processing.