Possible realization of directional optical waveguides in photonic crystals with broken time-reversal symmetry

Phys Rev Lett. 2008 Jan 11;100(1):013904. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.013904. Epub 2008 Jan 10.

Abstract

We show how, in principle, to construct analogs of quantum Hall edge states in "photonic crystals" made with nonreciprocal (Faraday-effect) media. These form "one-way waveguides" that allow electromagnetic energy to flow in one direction only.