High performance latching-type luminescent magneto-optical photonic crystals

We report the properties of one-dimensional heteroepitaxial all-garnet magneto-optical photonic crystals (MOPCs) composed of alternating quarter-wavelength layers of diamagnetic Sm(3)Ga(5)O(12) and MO-active Bi(2.97)Er(0.03)Al(0.5)Ga(0.5)O(12) garnets rf-magnetron sputtered on Gd(3)Ga(5)O(12) (111) substrate. Substitution of ferric ions by aluminum and gallium improved transparency and induced perpendicular anisotropy in pure bismuth iron garnet. As a result, photonic crystals owned a record high magneto-optical quality and a latching-type (magnetic remnant) Faraday rotation (FR). At the resonance wavelengths 775(640) nm, a specific FR(θ)(F)=-14.1(14.8) deg/μm and MO-quality factor Q=99.3(46.2) deg represent the highest MOPC performance achieved so far.