Geometrical confinement effects on the magnetization and polarization response in resonant magneto-optic rotator waveguides

Control of magnetization is central to the performance of magneto-optical switches and isolators. Photonic crystal technology on these devices can yield significant improvements in polarization rotation efficiency and an overall reduction in device dimensions. The optical response and field reversal characteristics of resonant magneto-optic polarization rotators fabricated on chip are presented herein and analyzed by micromagnetic simulation. By introducing domain-strip structures into the resonant cavity of Bragg gratings formed on magnetic garnet films, a bi-stable magnetic state is demonstrated and the enhancement of characteristic saturation field is studied. Domain closure loops between the strips affect the hysteresis response in the resonant cavity. Large magneto-optic rotations exceeding 45° are produced near resonance between 1500 and 1580 nm in the stop-bands, although the presence of linear birefringence in these gyrotropic waveguides strongly suppresses the Faraday rotation outside the stop-bands and degrades the linearity of the output polarization.