Effective Faraday rotator based on the TbYO3 crystal with a high Verdet constant and a high thermal conductivity

Abstract

Facing the demand of high-power laser development, a high-quality magneto-optical crystal with a high Verdet constant and a high thermal conductivity is needed. Herein, an effective Faraday rotation based on a TbYO₃ single crystal with a strong magneto-optical effect, grown by the laser floating zone method, is demonstrated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The TbYO₃ crystal has the Verdet constant which is 2.16 times (106 rad·m^-1 T^-1) higher than that of the TGG crystal (49 rad·m^-1 T^-1) at 880 nm. Additionally, the TbYO₃ crystal also has a thermal conductivity of 11.8 W·m^-1·K^-1 and a laser-induced damage threshold of 1.59 GW·cm^-2. These advantages can allow the TbYO₃ crystal to be an attractive magneto-optical material.