IEEE Photonics Journal (Jan 2012)
High Extinction Ratio Magneto-Optical Fiber Modulator Based on Nanoparticle Magnetic Fluids
Abstract
A novel magneto-optical fiber modulator with a high extinction ratio (ER) based on a polarization interference structure is proposed. A magnetic fluid (MF) film and a section of a polarization-maintaining fiber (PMF) are inserted into the structure to generate a suitable sinusoidal interference spectrum for light modulation. The MF film leads to a spectrum shift under external magnetic field due to its magnetically controllable birefringence, whereas the PMF is used to control the period of the interference spectrum. In this experiment, magneto-optical modulation with a high ER of 38 dB is demonstrated.
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