Reflection-free one-way edge modes in a gyromagnetic photonic crystal

We point out that electromagnetic one-way edge modes analogous to quantum Hall edge states, originally predicted by Raghu and Haldane in 2D photonic crystals possessing Dirac point-derived band gaps, can appear in more general settings. We show that the TM modes in a gyromagnetic photonic crystal ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Wang, Zheng, Chong, Yidong, Joannopoulos, John D., Soljačić, Marin
Other Authors: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/101168
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/18345
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
Description
Summary:We point out that electromagnetic one-way edge modes analogous to quantum Hall edge states, originally predicted by Raghu and Haldane in 2D photonic crystals possessing Dirac point-derived band gaps, can appear in more general settings. We show that the TM modes in a gyromagnetic photonic crystal can be formally mapped to electronic wave functions in a periodic electromagnetic field, so that the only requirement for the existence of one-way edge modes is that the Chern number for all bands below a gap is nonzero. In a square-lattice yttrium-iron-garnet crystal operating at microwave frequencies, which lacks Dirac points, time-reversal breaking is strong enough that the effect should be easily observable. For realistic material parameters, the edge modes occupy a 10% band gap. Numerical simulations of a one-way waveguide incorporating this crystal show 100% transmission across strong defects.