Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a promising material for combining with magneto-optic (MO) materials because it can propagate stable exciton-polaritons, with velocities considerably lower than that of photons in a vacuum. This study investigated the influence of sputtered ZnO and Al:ZnO top layers on MO responses of a bismuth-substituted yttrium iron garnet (Bi:YIG) film. The ZnO top layer modulated the Faraday rotation and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) of the Bi:YIG around the exciton resonance wavelength of ZnO at 369 nm. Furthermore, Al-substituted ZnO, which is a conductive ZnO, also changed the MO effects around the exciton resonance wavelength. These results imply that the exciton-polaritons in ZnO affect the MO interaction, because of their considerably low group velocity. The results suggest potential for controlling the MO response via excitons.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.