Ion irradiated magneto-optic waveguide based on TGG crystal

Here we report the fabrication of a magneto-optic waveguide based on TGG crystal via 15 MeV C3+ ion irradiation. The ion irradiation process leads to the optical anisotropy in the as-irradiated TGG waveguide, which hinders the magneto-optical rotation in the waveguide. To remove the irradiation-induced optical anisotropy, we annealed the as-irradiated TGG waveguide under different conditions. After annealing at 400 °C for one hour, the magneto-optical rotation of 14° per centimeter is observed in the waveguide at the wavelength of 632.8 nm, under the magnetic field of 0.24 T, which is comparable to that observed in the TGG crystal under the same magnetic field. This work paves the way for applications of TGG waveguides as integrated optical rotators and isolators.