Garnet photonics toward developing laser diode integrated with optical isolator with Si guiding layer

A nonreciprocal phase shift occurs in TM modes that travel in magneto‐optic waveguides in which magnetization is aligned transverse to the light propagation direction in the film plane. The large nonreciprocal phase shift is obtained when a magneto‐optic waveguide comprises a guiding layer with a high‐refractive‐index material. A magneto‐optic waveguide with a Si guiding layer is obtained by depositing the Si layer on a magnetic garnet layer. An optical isolator employing a nonreciprocal phase shift is described which has the magneto‐optic waveguide with the Si guiding layer. A laser diode integrated with the optical isolator can be developed by connecting the laser diode on the Si layer in the magneto‐optic waveguide, which is a concept of garnet photonics (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)