Magneto-Optical and Thermo-Optical Properties of Ce, Pr, and Ho Doped TAG Ceramics

Samples of TAG ceramics doped with Ce and Pr ions (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 at.% concentrations) and with Ho ions (0.5 at.%) were studied. The wavelength dependence of the Verdet constant of each sample in the 405 nm - 1064 nm range was measured, and analytical approximation was found. The obtained value of the Verdet constant of the studied TAG ceramics did not depend on the dopant concentration and type in the studied range of concentrations. The dependence of thermally induced depolarization on laser radiation power was investigated, and the magneto - optical figure of merit was estimated for each studied sample. It was demonstrated that doping of ceramics can provide a substantial reduction of the magneto-optical figure of merit. The obtained results will be useful for creating Faraday isolators and rotators based on TAG ceramics.