Technical Information

Principle of Operation

Faraday isolators are optical components which allow light to travel in only one direction. Their mode of operation is based on the non-linear Faraday effect (magneto rotation). In principle, the function of an optical isolator is analogue to that of an electrical diode.

Faraday isolators are composed of three elements:

• Entrance Polarizer
• Faraday Rotator
• Exit Polarizer

Thin film polarizers are commonly used as entrance and exit polarizers, typically in form of a special polarizing beam splitter cube. These polarizers have an extremely high extinction ratio and are designed for use with high power lasers. The polarizer entrance and exit surfaces are coated with an antireflective coating for the specified wavelength range. The key element of the Faraday isolator is the Faraday rotator. The rotator consists of a strong permanent magnet containing a crystal with a high Verdet constant.

Light of any polarization entering the entrance polarizer exits as horizontally or vertically linearly polarized light. Since laser light is usually linearly polarized, one can match the orientation of the entrance polarizer and the polarization of the laser by simply rotating the isolator. Light then passes through the Faraday rotator. For most wavelengths the crystal is a Terbium
Gallium Garnet (TGG) crystal which is placed in a strong homogeneous magnetic field. Crystal length and magnetic field strength are adjusted so that the light polarization is rotated by 45° on exiting the crystal. In the figure above the light is rotated counter clockwise when viewed in the north/south direction of the magnetic field (±45°) and the exit polarizer is also oriented at ±45°, so that the maximum beam intensity is transmitted.

If light of any polarization, but with a reversed direction of propagation, meets the exit polarizer, it leaves at ±45°, passes through the Faraday rotator and is again rotated by ±45°. The non-reciprocal nature of the Faraday effect results in the direction of rotation once again being counter clockwise as viewed in the north/south direction of the magnetic field. Upon leaving the Faraday rotator, the polarization has gone through two ±45° rotations resulting in a total rotation of ±90°. In this polarization direction the light is deflected laterally by the entrance polarizer.

Increased Isolation

The maximum isolation of the Faraday isolator is limited by inhomogenities of the TGG crystal and the magnetic field. However, it is possible to square the extinction ratio by placing two isolators in series and by arranging the polarity of the two magnets to be opposite to each other. This way the polarization direction of the transmitted light remains unchanged in the transmission direction and the effect of both magnetic fi elds is enhanced. This arrangement also
leads to a more compact isolator. The strength of this effect depends on the distance between the two magnets and can be used to tune the isolator to different wavelengths. The adjustment is necessary because the rotational angle of the TGG crystal is wavelength and temperature dependent. Please see chapter “Two stage isolators” for more information.