Tunable and switchable polarization rotation with non-reciprocal plasmonic thin films at designated wavelengths

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate an ultra-thin plasmonic optical rotator in the visible regime that induces a polarization rotation that is continuously tunable and switchable by an external magnetic field. The rotator is a magneto-plasmonic hybrid structure consisting of a magneto-optical EuSe slab and a one-dimensional plasmonic gold grating. At low temperatures, EuSe possesses a large Verdet constant and exhibits Faraday rotation, which does not saturate over a regime of several Tesla. By combining these properties with plasmonic Faraday rotation enhancement, a large tuning range of the polarization rotation of up to 8.4° for a film thickness of 220 nm is achieved. Furthermore, through experiments and simulations, we demonstrate that the unique dispersion properties of the structure enable us to tailor the wavelengths of the tunable polarization rotation to arbitrary spectral positions within the transparency window of the magneto-optical slab. The demonstrated concept might lead to important, highly integrated, non-reciprocal, photonic devices for light modulation, optical isolation, and magnetic field optical sensing. The simple fabrication of EuSe nanostructures by physical vapor deposition opens the way for many potentially interesting magneto-plasmonic systems and three-dimensional magneto-optical metamaterials.