Magneto photonic encoder

Abstract

A magneto photonic encoder, in plane, includes a set of periodic structures of magneto photonic crystals for rotating a polarization of a beam of light responsive to a controllable magnetic field as it is transmitted through the periodic structures. The rotated polarization, in cooperation with a non-reciprocal-mode conversion device produces an encoded signal without use of crossed polarizers. Path optics guide the light beam into the periodic structures for polarization rotation and then to direct the modified beam of light into the non-reciprocal-mode conversion device. Depending upon the implementation, the encoded output may serve as display image primitive precursor to produce an image constituent signal.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
         1 . A magneto photonic encoder, comprising:
 a multilayer photonic crystal (MPC) including an input portion, an encoding portion, an output portion, an input interface between said input portion and said encoding portion, and an output interface between said encoding region and said output portion wherein said encoding portion includes a set of periodic MPC structures having an overlying reflective layer;   a substrate supporting said multilayer photonic crystal;   
       a first path-optic, disposed on said input portion, configured to direct an input beam of photons into said input interface at an angle for total internal reflection producing a propagating beam of photons through said set of periodic MPC structures with said propagating beam of photons having a polarization attribute;
 a first mechanism, physically associated with said encoding portion, configured to produce a first controllable magnetic field within said set of periodic MPC structures to controllably rotate said polarization attribute producing a polarization-modified propagating beam of photons at said output interface; and 
 a controller coupled to said first mechanism to control a particular one magnetic field for said controllable magnetic field producing said polarization-modified propagating beam of photons with a particular polarization. 
 
     
     
         2 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second mechanism, disposed within said substrate and physically associated with said encoding portion and coupled to said controller, configured to produce a second controllable magnetic field within said set of periodic MPC structures to controllably rotate said polarization attribute producing said polarization-modified propagating beam of photons. 
 
     
     
         3 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 3  further comprising:
 a second path-optic, disposed on said output portion, configured to receive said polarization-modified propagating beam of photons from said output interface and direct said polarization-modified propagating beam of photons into a non-reciprocal-mode conversion device producing an encoded beam of photons. 
 
     
     
         4 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 2  further comprising:
 a second path-optic, disposed on said output portion, configured to receive said polarization-modified propagating beam of photons from said output interface and direct said polarization-modified propagating beam of photons into a non-reciprocal-mode conversion device producing an encoded beam of photons. 
 
     
     
         5 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 3  further comprising:
 a third path-optic, disposed on said output portion, configured to receive said encoded beam of photons and produce an output beam of photons. 
 
     
     
         6 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 3  further comprising:
 a third path-optic, disposed on said output portion, configured to receive said encoded beam of photons and produce an output beam of photons. 
 
     
     
         7 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 5  wherein said input beam of photons propagates in a first direction generally perpendicular to a plane parallel to said substrate, wherein said propagating beam of photons propagates in a second direction generally parallel to said plane, and wherein said output beam of photons propagates in a third direction generally perpendicular to said plane and generally parallel to said first direction. 
     
     
         8 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 6  wherein said input beam of photons propagates in a first direction generally perpendicular to a plane parallel to said substrate, wherein said propagating beam of photons propagates in a second direction generally parallel to said plane, and wherein said output beam of photons propagates in a third direction generally perpendicular to said plane and generally parallel to said first direction. 
     
     
         9 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 1  wherein encoding portion includes a two dimensional region, wherein said set of periodic MPC structures includes a plurality of subsets of said periodic MPC structures, each said subset of periodic MPC structures disposed within said two-dimensional region and supporting a portion of a propagating path for said propagating beam of photons, wherein at least one said portion of said propagating path of a first said subset of said periodic MPC structure is non-aligned with at least another one said portion of said propagating path of a second said subset of said periodic MPC structure further comprising a set of path optics routing said portions of said propagating path through all said subsets of periodic MPC structures. 
     
     
         10 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 2  wherein said encoding portion includes a two dimensional region, wherein said set of periodic MPC structures includes a plurality of subsets of said periodic MPC structures, each said subset of periodic MPC structures disposed within said two-dimensional region and supporting a portion of a propagating path for said propagating beam of photons, wherein at least one said portion of said propagating path of a first said subset of said periodic MPC structure is non-aligned with at least another one said portion of said propagating path of a second said subset of said periodic MPC structure further comprising a set of path optics routing said portions of said propagating path through all said subsets of periodic MPC structures. 
     
     
         11 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 3  wherein said encoding portion includes a two dimensional region, wherein said set of periodic MPC structures includes a plurality of subsets of said periodic MPC structures, each said subset of periodic MPC structures disposed within said two-dimensional region and supporting a portion of a propagating path for said propagating beam of photons, wherein at least one said portion of said propagating path of a first said subset of said periodic MPC structure is non-aligned with at least another one said portion of said propagating path of a second said subset of said periodic MPC structure further comprising a set of path optics routing said portions of said propagating path through all said subsets of periodic MPC structures. 
     
     
         12 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 4  wherein said encoding portion includes a two dimensional region, wherein said set of periodic MPC structures includes a plurality of subsets of said periodic MPC structures, each said subset of periodic MPC structures disposed within said two-dimensional region and supporting a portion of a propagating path for said propagating beam of photons, wherein at least one said portion of said propagating path of a first said subset of said periodic MPC structure is non-aligned with at least another one said portion of said propagating path of a second said subset of said periodic MPC structure further comprising a set of path optics routing said portions of said propagating path through all said subsets of periodic MPC structures. 
     
     
         13 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 5  wherein said encoding portion includes a two dimensional region, wherein said set of periodic MPC structures includes a plurality of subsets of said periodic MPC structures, each said subset of periodic MPC structures disposed within said two-dimensional region and supporting a portion of a propagating path for said propagating beam of photons, wherein at least one said portion of said propagating path of a first said subset of said periodic MPC structure is non-aligned with at least another one said portion of said propagating path of a second said subset of said periodic MPC structure further comprising a set of path optics routing said portions of said propagating path through all said subsets of periodic MPC structures. 
     
     
         14 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 6  wherein said encoding portion includes a two dimensional region, wherein said set of periodic MPC structures includes a plurality of subsets of said periodic MPC structures, each said subset of periodic MPC structures disposed within said two-dimensional region and supporting a portion of a propagating path for said propagating beam of photons, wherein at least one said portion of said propagating path of a first said subset of said periodic MPC structure is non-aligned with at least another one said portion of said propagating path of a second said subset of said periodic MPC structure further comprising a set of path optics routing said portions of said propagating path through all said subsets of periodic MPC structures. 
     
     
         15 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 7  wherein said encoding portion includes a two dimensional region, wherein said set of periodic MPC structures includes a plurality of subsets of said periodic MPC structures, each said subset of periodic MPC structures disposed within said two-dimensional region and supporting a portion of a propagating path for said propagating beam of photons, wherein at least one said portion of said propagating path of a first said subset of said periodic MPC structure is non-aligned with at least another one said portion of said propagating path of a second said subset of said periodic MPC structure further comprising a set of path optics routing said portions of said propagating path through all said subsets of periodic MPC structures. 
     
     
         16 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 8  wherein said encoding portion includes a two dimensional region, wherein said set of periodic MPC structures includes a plurality of subsets of said periodic MPC structures, each said subset of periodic MPC structures disposed within said two-dimensional region and supporting a portion of a propagating path for said propagating beam of photons, wherein at least one said portion of said propagating path of a first said subset of said periodic MPC structure is non-aligned with at least another one said portion of said propagating path of a second said subset of said periodic MPC structure further comprising a set of path optics routing said portions of said propagating path through all said subsets of periodic MPC structures. 
     
     
         17 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 9  wherein said two dimensional region includes a rectilinear area, wherein each said subset of said periodic MPC structures are parallel to each other and disposed within said rectilinear area, and wherein said portions of said propagating path are parallel to each other. 
     
     
         18 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 10  wherein said two dimensional region includes a rectilinear area, wherein each said subset of said periodic MPC structures are parallel to each other and disposed within said rectilinear area, and wherein said portions of said propagating path are parallel to each other. 
     
     
         19 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 11  wherein said two dimensional region includes a rectilinear area, wherein each said subset of said periodic MPC structures are parallel to each other and disposed within said rectilinear area, and wherein said portions of said propagating path are parallel to each other. 
     
     
         20 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 12  wherein said two dimensional region includes a rectilinear area, wherein each said subset of said periodic MPC structures are parallel to each other and disposed within said rectilinear area, and wherein said portions of said propagating path are parallel to each other. 
     
     
         21 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 13  wherein said two dimensional region includes a rectilinear area, wherein each said subset of said periodic MPC structures are parallel to each other and disposed within said rectilinear area, and wherein said portions of said propagating path are parallel to each other. 
     
     
         22 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 14  wherein said two dimensional region includes a rectilinear area, wherein each said subset of said periodic MPC structures are parallel to each other and disposed within said rectilinear area, and wherein said portions of said propagating path are parallel to each other. 
     
     
         23 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 15  wherein said two dimensional region includes a rectilinear area, wherein each said subset of said periodic MPC structures are parallel to each other and disposed within said rectilinear area, and wherein said portions of said propagating path are parallel to each other. 
     
     
         24 . The magneto-photonic encoder of  claim 16  wherein said two dimensional region includes a rectilinear area, wherein each said subset of said periodic MPC structures are parallel to each other and disposed within said rectilinear area, and wherein said portions of said propagating path are parallel to each other. 
     
     
         25 . A method for encoding a photonic beam, comprising:
 receiving the photonic beam into a magneto photonic encoder, including a multilayer photonic crystal (MPC) including an input portion, an encoding portion, an output portion, an input interface between said input portion and said encoding portion, and an output interface between said encoding region and said output portion wherein said encoding portion includes a set of periodic MPC structures having an overlying reflective layer; a substrate supporting said multilayer photonic crystal; a first path-optic, disposed on said input portion, configured to direct an input beam of photons into said input interface at an angle for total internal reflection producing a propagating beam of photons through said set of periodic MPC structures with said propagating beam of photons having a polarization attribute; a first mechanism, physically associated with said encoding portion, configured to produce a first controllable magnetic field within said set of periodic MPC structures to controllably rotate said polarization attribute producing a polarization-modified propagating beam of photons at said output interface; and a controller coupled to said first mechanism to control a particular one magnetic field for said controllable magnetic field producing said polarization-modified propagating beam of photons with a particular polarization;   setting a polarization rotation for the propagating beam of light in said encoding portion producing said polarization-modified propagating beam of photons;   interacting said polarization-modified propagating beam of photons with a non-reciprocal-mode conversion device to set a transmissive amplitude for the photonic