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JOURNAL OF SYNTHETIC CRYSTALS ›› 2022, Vol. 51 ›› Issue (9-10): 1659-1672.

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Research Progress and Application of Magneto-Optical Thin Films Based on RIG

ZHU Senyin1, ZHANG Hanxu1, WANG Xianjie1, HUANG Zhanjun1, SONG Bo2   

  1. 1. School of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China;
    2. National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
  • Received:2022-04-15 Online:2022-10-15 Published:2022-11-02

Abstract: With the development of optical communication technology and photonic integrated circuits, non-reciprocal devices have been widely studied and applied as an important part of optical communication systems. Magneto-optical isolators and circulators based on magneto-optical effect are currently the most widely used non-reciprocal devices. In order to integrate non-reciprocal devices into silicon wafers, magneto-optical thin films with comparable performance to bulk magneto-optical materials need to be prepared. In the near-infrared band (1 550 nm), rare earth iron garnet (RIG) represented by yttrium iron garnets (Y3Fe5O12, YIG) has excellent magneto-optical effects and become one of the most promising magneto-optical materials. It is found that doping with rare earth ions can effectively improve the magneto-optical properties of YIG thin films, especially Bi3+ and Ce3+ doped YIG exhibit giant Faraday effect. In this paper, the Faraday effect principle is briefly introduced, three common growth methods of RIG magneto-optical thin films and their research progress in recent years are reviewed, and the application of RIG magneto-optical thin films in optical isolators and circulators are summarized. Finally, the future development trend of magneto-optical films is prospected.

Key words: magneto-optical thin film, rare earth iron garnet, yttrium iron garnet, pulsed laser deposition, liquid phase epitaxy, radio frequency magnetron sputtering, magneto-optical isolator, Faraday effect

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