Magnetless Circulators Based on Synthetic Angular-Momentum Bias: Recent advances and applications

In this article, we discuss recent progress in magnet-free nonreciprocal structures based on a synthetic form of angular-momentum bias imparted via spatiotemporal modulation. We examine how such components can support metrics of performance comparable to traditional magnetic-biased ferrite devices, while at the same time offering distinct advantages in terms of reduced size, weight, and cost due to the elimination of magnetic bias. We further provide an outlook on potential applications and future directions based on these components, ranging from wireless full-duplex communications to metasurfaces and topological insulators (TIs).