Nonreciprocal plasmonics enables giant enhancement of thin-film Faraday rotation

Jessie Yao Chin (), Tobias Steinle, Thomas Wehlus, Daniel Dregely, Thomas Weiss, Vladimir I. Belotelov, Bernd Stritzker and Harald Giessen
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Jessie Yao Chin: 4th Physics Institute and Research Center SCOPE, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57
Tobias Steinle: 4th Physics Institute and Research Center SCOPE, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57
Thomas Wehlus: Institute of Physics, University of Augsburg, Universitätsstraße 1
Daniel Dregely: 4th Physics Institute and Research Center SCOPE, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57
Thomas Weiss: 4th Physics Institute and Research Center SCOPE, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57
Vladimir I. Belotelov: Faculty of Physics, Lomonossov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory
Bernd Stritzker: Institute of Physics, University of Augsburg, Universitätsstraße 1
Harald Giessen: 4th Physics Institute and Research Center SCOPE, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57

Nature Communications, 2013, vol. 4, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract Light propagation is usually reciprocal. However, a static magnetic field along the propagation direction can break the time-reversal symmetry in the presence of magneto-optical materials. The Faraday effect in magneto-optical materials rotates the polarization plane of light, and when light travels backward the polarization is further rotated. This is applied in optical isolators, which are of crucial importance in optical systems. Faraday isolators are typically bulky due to the weak Faraday effect of available magneto-optical materials. The growing research endeavour in integrated optics demands thin-film Faraday rotators and enhancement of the Faraday effect. Here, we report significant enhancement of Faraday rotation by hybridizing plasmonics with magneto-optics. By fabricating plasmonic nanostructures on laser-deposited magneto-optical thin films, Faraday rotation is enhanced by one order of magnitude in our experiment, while high transparency is maintained. We elucidate the enhanced Faraday effect by the interplay between plasmons and different photonic waveguide modes in our system.

Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2609

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