
UV-visible Faraday rotators based on rare-earth fluoride single crystals: LiREF_4 (RE = Tb, Dy, Ho, Er and Yb), PrF_3 and CeF_3
Author(s) -
Valentyn Vasyliev,
Encarnación G. Vı́llora,
Masaru Nakamura,
Yoshiyuki Sugahara,
Kiyoshi Shimamura
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.20.014460
Subject(s) - figure of merit , terbium , ultraviolet , materials science , optics , wavelength , faraday effect , visible spectrum , optoelectronics , infrared , holmium , faraday rotator , laser , physics , luminescence , magnetic field , quantum mechanics
High optical quality LiREF(4) (RE = Tb(3+), Dy(3+), Ho(3+), Er(3+) and Yb(3+)), PrF(3) and CeF(3) single crystals have been grown by the Czochralski technique. Their magneto-optical properties have been measured and analyzed in detail in the ultraviolet-visible wavelength region, and their figures of merit as Faraday rotators have been determined. CeF(3) presents superior properties above 300 nm, showing a figure of merit higher than that of the reference material, terbium-gallium-garnet, which is nowadays used in the visible-near infrared. PrF(3) is the best rotator for the 220-300 nm range. Towards shorter wavelength and in the vacuum ultraviolet, it is shown that the LiREF(4) crystals are unique rotators. Overall, the rare-earth fluoride single crystals studied here exhibit better properties than other materials considered so far, and therefore they have potential to cover the increasing demand for new and improved Faraday rotators in the ultraviolet-visible wavelength region.