Patent ID: 8639064
Filing Date: 2014-01-28
Classification: B82Y,G02B,G02F

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for modulating light, comprising: at least a first photonic structure that has two separate photonic bands, said at least first photonic structure having a refractive index; and a device temporarily modulating the refractive index of the at least first photonic structure, so that light supplied to the at least first photonic structure and initially in a first one of the photonic bands traveling along a forward direction in the at least first photonic structure is converted to light in a second one of the photonic bands without altering a polarization state of the light, and light in the first photonic band traveling along a backward direction opposite to the forward direction in the at least first photonic structure is not converted and remains in the first photonic band, and so that the at least first photonic structure is non-reciprocal with respect to light traveling in the forward and backward directions.