In this paper, we present the synthesis and the optical properties of 3D magneto-photonic structures. The elaboration process consists in firstly preparing then infiltrating polystyrene direct opals with a homogeneous solution of sol-gel silica precursors doped by cobalt ferrite nanoparticles, and finally dissolving the polystyrene spheres. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images of the prepared samples clearly evidence a periodic arrangement. Using a home-made polarimetric optical bench, the transmittance as a function of the wavelength, the Faraday rotation as a function of the applied magnetic field, and the Faraday ellipticity as a function of the wavelength and as a function of the applied magnetic field were measured. The existence of deep photonic band gaps (PBG), the unambiguous magnetic character of the samples and the qualitative modification of the Faraday ellipticity in the area of the PBG are evidenced.
To overcome the difficult problem of the integration of magneto-optical materials with classical technologies, our group
has developped a composite magneto-optical material made of a hybrid organic-inorganic silica type matrix doped by
magnetic nanoparticles. Thin films of this material are obtained through a soft chemistry sol-gel process which gives a
full compatibility with an integration on glass substarte. Due to an interesting magneto optical activity (Faraday rotation
of 310°/cm) several magneto-optical functionnalities have been realized. A thin film of such composite material coated
on a pyrex™ substrate acts as non-reciprocal TE/TM mode converter. An hybrid stucture made of a composite film
coated on an ion-exchanged glass waveguide has been realized with a good propagation of light through a hybrid mode.
Finally, the sol gel process has been adapted in order to obtain 3D inverse opals which should behave as magnetophotonic
crystals. Transmittance curves reveal the photonic band gap of such opals doped with magnetic nanoparticles.
Based on the previous work of Nishijima [1], the aim of this work is to realize 3D magnetophotonic crystals (MPC)
by a sol-gel approach, in order to obtain a magneto-optical material with a large merit factor. These MPC are made by
immersion of an opal template of polystyrene spheres in a sol-gel TEOS preparation doped by magnetic nanoparticles.
The template can be realized using centrifugation or sedimentation, and it is removed after the solidification of the doped
matrix by an immersion in ethyl acetate.
Calculations made on 1D structures confirm that a periodic arrangement of a magneto-optical material is a way to
increase the Faraday Rotation and the merite factor. The characterization of the samples is made by SEM and UV-VIS
spectrophotometry. In virtue of the SEM pictures we can establish that the template is well-structured, what is confirmed
by a Photonic Band Gap (PBG) in the spectrophotometry spectral. The central wavelength of the PBG depends on the
size of the polystyrene spheres. The final MPC obtained with a silica matrix doped by maghemite nanoparticles has also
well-structured areas. Ongoing works concern the study of the Farady rotation as a function of the wavelength.
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