Nonreciprocal and Reciprocal Nonlinear Optical Limiters via Phase Transition

ABSTRACT This study presents nonreciprocal and reciprocal nonlinear optical limiters based on vanadium dioxide and multilayer optical interference structures, achieving modulation ranges of 86% and 92% with transmission contrasts of 97.8% and 98.9%, along with excellent temperature‐dependent transmission control. The influences of film structure, doping characteristics, and bias temperature on the optical limiting properties and mechanisms were systematically investigated through laser irradiation experiments. Notably, the asymmetric configuration exhibits pronounced nonreciprocal behavior in optical transmittance, achieving an isolation ratio of ∼8, and holds great promise for various optical isolation applications. Experimental results demonstrate that incorporating an optical limiter reduces laser‐induced spot area to ∼15% of its original size in infrared detection, highlighting their potential for advanced optical protection systems. The limiter designs offer both practical and theoretical advancements in nonlinear optical limiting and isolation, demonstrating a practical platform and theoretical methodology for advanced applications.