Birefringence-Mediated Enhancement of the Magneto-Optical Activity in Anisotropic Magnetic Crystals

Optical anisotropy is usually treated as an unfavorable condition for the magneto-optical measurements since it is known to diminish the Faraday rotation concerning the case of the isotropic medium. Here we show that the situation could be quite opposite: a phenomenon of birefringence-mediated enhancement of the magneto-optical activity appears if the incident light polarization and angle of incidence are set properly. The present study relies on the experimental, analytical, and numerical studies of iron borate FeBO3 crystals. We demonstrate a significant increase of the magneto-optical activity resulting in nearly 100% magneto-optical light modulation magnitude. The approach applies to other types of birefringent crystals with the magneto-optical response that makes it crucial for various practical applications, including magneto-optical microscopy, pump-probe studies, and others.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that optical anisotropy can enhance the magneto-optical activity if the incident light polarization and angle of incidence are properly set. The research focuses on iron borate FeBO3 crystals and shows a significant increase in magneto-optical activity, resulting in nearly 100% magneto-optical light modulation magnitude. This finding is crucial for various practical applications, including magneto-optical microscopy and pump-probe studies.