High extinction ratio magneto-optical fiber modulator based on nanoparticle magnetic fluids

• Main Authors: Dong, Xinyong, Chen, Li Han, Wong, Wei Chang, Zu, Peng, Chan, Chi Chiu, Lew, Wen Siang, Jin, Yongxing, Liew, Hwi Fen
• Other Authors: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/98962; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/13462
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

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.