Faceted magneto-optical garnet layer and light modulator using the same

摘要

A magneto-optical element comprises a magnetic garnet layer on a crystalline substrate. The garnet layer has a faceted structure, which provides high Faraday rotation and controlled coercivity. The faceted structure is preferably formed by depositing the layer onto a substrate whose lattice constant is sufficiently smaller than that of the layer. The resulting elements find application in light modulators, such as switches and displays, where they permit high resolution without having to be cut into an array of small cells.