Accession Number:

ADA002276

Title:

Electro-Optics vs. Magneto-Optics: Power Considerations

Descriptive Note:

Final technical rept. 15 Jan 1973-30 Jun 1974

Corporate Author:

IBM THOMAS J WATSON RESEARCH CENTER YORKTOWN HEIGHTS NY

Personal Author(s):

• Reisinger, A. R.
• Powell, C. G.
• Tseng, S. C.

Report Date:

1974-11-01

Pagination or Media Count:

65.0

Abstract:

Conventional calculations of the power per unit bandwidth, based on the evaluation of the energy stored in the active crystal, indicate that magneto-optic modulators might be more attractive than their electro-optic counterparts. However, these calculations do not take into account the dynamical response of an assembly of spins placed in a magnetic field. Whether magnetization reversal takes place by coherent rotation or domain wall motion, the switching time decreases with increasing modulating field amplitude. This behavior is expected on a theoretical basis and is well confirmed by experiments. As a corollary, the bandwidth of a m-o device can be pushed upwards only at the cost of increasing power consumption. With presently available films, the power requirements are such that magneto-optics does not appear to be competitive with electro-optics for the construction of wideband, low power, integrated optical modulators.

Descriptors:

• *LASER MODULATORS
• *MAGNETOOPTICS
• *OPTICAL WAVEGUIDES
• BANDWIDTH
• ELECTROOPTICS
• GARNET
• INFRARED RADIATION
• MAGNETIC DOMAINS
• MAGNETIZATION
• NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
• SWITCHING
• THIN FILMS

Subject Categories:

• Lasers and Masers
• Fiber Optics and Integrated Optics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE