Electrically switchable photonic diode empowered by chiral resonance
Abstract
The on-chip integration of nonreciprocal optical devices remains a critical challenge for modern optoelectronics, as conventional magneto-optic approaches suffer from material incompatibility and excessive optical losses. Nonlinear photonic diodes have emerged as a promising magnet-free alternative, yet their widespread adoption has been constrained by inherent limitations in reconfigurability. Here, we present an all-silicon, electrically tunable photonic diode leveraging engineered chiral resonances in an ultra-compact microring architecture. The pronounced asymmetric modal coupling enables nonreciprocal transmission with two distinct operation modes at threshold powers down to -5 dBm. The chirality further enables unprecedented control over self-pulsation dynamics, manifesting in propagation-direction-dependent oscillation thresholds and temporal signatures. Crucially, post-fabrication electrical reconfigurability allows dynamic switching between forward, backward, and disabled states. This work represents a significant advancement in integrated nonreciprocal photonics, offering a CMOS-compatible solution with transformative potential for optical interconnects, photonic neural networks, and signal processing systems.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2508.17887,
title = {Electrically switchable photonic diode empowered by chiral resonance},
author = {Jiaqi Zhao and Kexun Wu and Xuecheng Yan and Jiewen Li and Xiaochuan Xu and Ke Xu and Yu Li and Linjie Zhou and Yan Chen and Jiawei Wang},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.17887},
year = {2026}
}