SBIR Phase I: Thick Film Garnet Materials for In-Plane Propagation Magnetooptic Devices

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目解决了高灵敏度，高速磁光传感器和调制器的平面各向异性磁性石榴石薄膜中光的平面传播的设备和市场机会。传统的传播装置需要垂直磁场和磁化过程。这些在速度和灵敏度上受到当前材料和在垂直方向上磁化石榴石所需的能量的限制。在薄膜的平面内，几乎没有能垒阻止畴的转动。在这个项目中，该公司建议将这一障碍降低到接近零，以使设备具有前所未有的灵敏度和速度。目标是在传感器和千兆赫设备频率中实现皮特斯拉场灵敏度。后者将使小型，低功率磁光光调制器，这是真正的颠覆性技术相比，目前的大尺寸电光technology.In-plane传播在平面厚膜法拉第旋转器将使独特的新设备。高速磁光调制器为宽带通信和软件无线电的系统集成架构打开了大门。面内传播可以被优化，以提供前所未有的高灵敏度或远大于传统垂直传播所能达到的范围。这些传感器的应用领域包括车轮和涡轮机的旋转、电力分配、监测、计量和控制以及战场传感器。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the device and market opportunity for in-plane propagation of light in planar anisotropy magnetic garnet films for high sensitivity, high-speed magneto-optic sensors and modulators. Traditional propagation devices require perpendicular magnetic fields and magnetization processes. These are limited in speed and sensitivity by the current materials and the energy required to magnetize the garnet in the perpendicular direction. In the plane of the film, there is almost no energetic barrier to domain rotation. In this project, the company proposes to reduce that barrier to near zero to make devices of unprecedented sensitivity and speed. The goal is to attain pico-Tesla field sensitivities in sensors and gigahertz device frequencies. The latter will enable small, low-power magneto-optic light modulators that are truly a disruptive technology by comparison to current large dimension electro-optic technologies.In-plane propagation in planar thick film Faraday rotators would enable unique new devices. High speed magneto-optic modulators open the door to system integration architecture for wideband communications and software defined radios. In-plane propagation can be optimized to give either unprecedented high sensitivity or ranges much greater than can be attained with conventional perpendicular propagation. These sensors would have applications such as wheel and turbine rotation, electric power distribution, monitoring, metering and control and battlefield sensors.