N.E. Khokhlov

Tuning of the transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect in magneto-plasmonic crystals

The spectral properties of the transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect (TMOKE) in periodic metal-dielectric hybrid structures are studied, in particular with respect to the achievable magnitude. It is shown that the TMOKE is sensitive to the magneto-optical activity of the bismuth-substituted rare-earth iron garnet, which is used as a dielectric material in the investigated structures. For samples with larger Bi substitution level and, consequently, larger gyration

Photonic crystals with plasmonic patterns: novel type of the heterostructures for enhanced magneto-optical activity

A multilayer structure consisting of a magnetophotonic crystal with a rare-earth iron garnet microresonator layer and plasmonic grating deposited on it was fabricated and studied in order to combine functionalities of photonic and plasmonic crystals. The plasmonic pattern allows excitation of the hybrid plasmonic-waveguide modes localized in dielectric Bragg mirrors of the magnetophotonic crystal or waveguide modes inside its microresonator layer. These modes give rise to the additional resonances in the optical spectra of the structure and to the enhancement of the magneto-optical effects. The Faraday effect increases by about 50% at the microresonator modes while the transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect demonstrates pronounced peculiarities at both hybrid waveguide modes and microresonator modes and increases by several times with respect to the case of the bare magnetophotonic crystal without the metal grating.

Magnetic control of waveguide modes of Bragg structures

We present the study of the waveguide modes of one-dimensional magnetic photonic crystals with in-plane-magnetized layers. There is a magneto-optical effect of nonreciprocity for the TM-modes propagating along the layers perpendicularly to the magnetization. Due to the non-reciprocity the phase velocity of the modes changes with magnetization reversal. Comparison of the effect in the non-magnetic photonic crystal with additional magnetic layer on top and a magnetophotonic crystal with altering magnetic layers shows that the effect is greater in the first case due to the higher asymmetry of the claddings of the magnetic layer. This effect is important for the light modulation with external magnetic field in waveguide structures and may be used for design of novel types of the magneto-optical devices, sensors of magnetic field or biosensors.

Transverse magnetic field impact on waveguide modes of photonic crystals

This Letter presents a theoretical and experimental study of waveguide modes of one-dimensional magneto-photonic crystals magnetized in the in-plane direction. It is shown that the propagation constants of the TM waveguide modes are sensitive to the transverse magnetization and the spectrum of the transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect has resonant features at mode excitation frequencies. Two types of structures are considered: a non-magnetic photonic crystal with an additional magnetic layer on top and a magneto-photonic crystal with a magnetic layer within each period. We found that the magneto-optical non-reciprocity effect is greater in the first case: it has a magnitude of δ∼10-4, while the second structure type demonstrates δ∼10-5 only, due to the higher asymmetry of the claddings of the magnetic layer. Experimental observations show resonant features in the optical and magneto-optical Kerr effect spectra. The measured dispersion properties are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. An amplitude of light intensity modulation of up to 2.5% was observed for waveguide mode excitation within the magnetic top layer of the non-magnetic photonic crystal structure. The presented theoretical approach may be utilized for the design of magneto-optical sensors and modulators requiring pre-determined spectral features.

Electric-field-driven magnetic domain wall as a microscale magneto-optical shutter

Nowadays, spintronics considers magnetic domain walls as a kind of nanodeviсe that demands for switching much less energy in comparison to homogeneous process. We propose and demonstrate a new concept for the light control via electric field applied locally to a magnetic domain wall playing the role of nanodevice. In detail, we charged a 15-μm-thick metallic tip to generate strong non-uniform electric field in the vicinity of the domain wall in the iron garnet film. The electric field influences the domain wall due to flexomagnetoelectric effect and causes the domain wall shift. The resulting displacement of the domain wall is up to 1/3 of domain width and allows to demonstrate a novel type of the electrically controlled magneto-optical shutter. Polarized laser beam focused on the electric-field-driven domain wall was used to demonstrate the concept of a microscale Faraday modulator. We obtained different regimes of the light modulation – linear, nonlinear and tri-stable – for the same domain wall with corresponding controllable displacement features. Such variability to control of domain wall’s displacement with spatial scale of about 10 μm makes the proposed concept very promising for nanophotonics and spintronics.

Enhancement of SPR-sensor sensitivity in garnet-based plasmonic heterostructures

We propose a novel approach to the enhancement of the SPR-sensors sensitivity via utilization of the specially designed garnet-based magnetoplasmonic heterostructures with one-dimensional photonic crystals. Excitation of the long-range propagating modes in such structures as well as the magnetooptical measurements instead of reflection ones make the investigated resonances extremely narrow thus significantly increasing the SPR sensor sensitivity.

Surface Plasmon Polaritons and Inverse Faraday Effect

t is shown that the inverse Faraday effect appears in the case of surface plasmon polariton propagation near a metal-paramagnetic interface. The inverse Faraday effect in nanostructured periodically perforated metaldielectric films increases because of the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons. In this case, a stationary magnetic field is amplified by more than an order of magnitude compared to the case of a smooth paramagnetic film. The distribution of an electromagnetic field is sensitive to the wavelength and the angle of incidence of light, which allows one to efficiently control the local magnetization arising due to the inverse Faraday effect.

Interaction of surface plasmon polaritons and acoustic waves inside an acoustic cavity

In this Letter, we introduce an approach for manipulation of active plasmon polaritons via acoustic waves at sub-terahertz frequency range. The acoustic structures considered are designed as phononic Fabry-Perot microresonators where mirrors are presented with an acoustic superlattice and the structures surface, and a plasmonic grating is placed on top of the acoustic cavity so formed. It provides phonon localization in the vicinity of the plasmonic grating at frequencies within the phononic stop band enhancing phonon-light interaction. We consider phonon excitation by shining a femtosecond laser pulse on the plasmonic grating. Appropriate theoretical model was used to describe the acoustic process caused by the pump laser pulse in the GaAs/AlAs-based acoustic cavity with a gold grating on top. Strongest modulation is achieved upon excitation of propagating surface plasmon polaritons and hybridization of propagating and localized plasmons. The relative changes in the optical reflectivity of the structure are more than an order of magnitude higher than for the structure without the plasmonic film.

Magneto-optical light modulator with local domain wall manipulation

We consider a scheme of Faraday magneto-optical light modulator with local magnetization control via magneto-electric effect. Our earlier researches of bismuth-substituted iron garnets films showed the giant domain wall (DW) displacement in electric field of charged tip due to magneto-electric effect [1, 2]. The displacement gives the opportunity to the local magnetization switching on the spatial scales about few microns.

Waveguide modes of 1D photonic crystals in a transverse magnetic field

We analyze waveguide modes in 1D photonic crystals containing layers magnetized in the plane. It is shown that the magnetooptical nonreciprocity effect emerges in such structures during the propagation of waveguide modes along the layers and perpendicularly to the magnetization. This effect involves a change in the phase velocity of the mode upon reversal of the direction of magnetization. Comparison of the effects in a nonmagnetic photonic crystal with an additional magnetic layer and in a photonic crystal with magnetic layers shows that the magnitude of this effect is several times larger in the former case in spite of the fact that the electromagnetic field of the modes in the latter case is localized in magnetic regions more strongly. This is associated with asymmetry of the dielectric layers contacting with the magnetic layer in the former case. This effect is important for controlling waveguide structure modes with the help of an external magnetic field.