Ultracompact nonreciprocal optical isolator based on guided resonance in a magneto-optical photonic crystal slab.

We design an ultracompact optical isolator with normal incident geometry that operates with a bandwidth that is substantial for a device of this size. For operation in a telecommunication wavelength of 1.55 μm, the thickness of the device is less than 1 μm and the device supports an operating bandwidth of 400 GHz over which the minimum contrast ratio exceeds 25 dB. Our design utilizes guided resonance in a photonic crystal slab to enhance magneto-optical effects, and exploits interference effects among multiple resonances to create desired transmission spectral line shapes.