In this article, the magnetic pulse characteristics needed to achieve high-speed magneto-optic (MO) switching are investigated. A fiber-based, MO, low-voltage optical switch capable of 200 ns switching is presented, along with the special circuit characteristics for magnetic field generation for high-speed switching. The switch consists of the optical system, the MO material (bismuth substituted iron garnet [(Bi1.1Tb1.9)(Fe4.25Ga0.75)O12]), and a high-speed magnetic field driving circuit. A Faraday rotator is placed within the interferometric loop of a fiber-optic Sagnac interferometer, and interference at the output ports is controlled by the applied field. The fast switching speed is accomplished via the special design of the magnetic pulse generation circuitry. The applied magnetic field overshoots the field necessary to achieve the desired Faraday rotation and then settles to a steady state field. If the duration of the overshoot is less than the time it takes the material to saturate, a fast optical switching time can be achieved without saturating the material. The effects of the overshoot amplitude and duration and steady-state amplitude on optical rise time (determined by domain wall velocity) are studied and experimental results are presented.
A new fiber-based, magneto-optic switch is proposed with a novel approach for low power and efficient operation. The switch, with reasonable switching speed compared to competitive designs, operates at considerably reduced power levels, which makes it a practical deployable solution. The basic switch setup consists of a Faraday rotator in a Sagnac fiber-optic interferometer in which optical switching is controlled by an electronic driving circuit. The electronic system generates a magnetic field through the Faraday rotator by driving current through a specially designed two-coil system. The new coil system allows for sufficient field generation at low quiescent power levels while maintaining very short optical rise and fall times. The design and considerations as well as the effect of mutual inductance between the two coils and its influence on switching times are investigated. The optical system consists of a Sagnac interferometer with a Faraday rotator within the Sagnac loop. Appropriate phase shift for interference is achieved by the proposed field generating system designed for the magneto-optical element. The theory of operation, design, experimental results, and optical and electronic setup are presented and analyzed.Keywords coil systems, driving current, electronic driving, electronic systems, Faraday rotators, fiber-optic interferometers, generating system, interferometric switches, low power, magneto-optic switch, mutual inductance, sagnac interferometer, sagnac loop, textile fibers Disciplines Electrical and Computer Engineering | Electromagnetics and Photonics CommentsThe following article appeared in Journal of Applied Physics 111 (2012) A new fiber-based, magneto-optic switch is proposed with a novel approach for low power and efficient operation. The switch, with reasonable switching speed compared to competitive designs, operates at considerably reduced power levels, which makes it a practical deployable solution. The basic switch setup consists of a Faraday rotator in a Sagnac fiber-optic interferometer in which optical switching is controlled by an electronic driving circuit. The electronic system generates a magnetic field through the Faraday rotator by driving current through a specially designed two-coil system. The new coil system allows for sufficient field generation at low quiescent power levels while maintaining very short optical rise and fall times. The design and considerations as well as the effect of mutual inductance between the two coils and its influence on switching times are investigated. The optical system consists of a Sagnac interferometer with a Faraday rotator within the Sagnac loop. Appropriate phase shift for interference is achieved by the proposed field generating system designed for the magneto-optical element. The theory of operation, design, experimental results, and optical and electronic setup are presented and analyzed.
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