ISSN:
1089-7550
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
Access times of magneto-optic recording systems is limited by the size and weight of the magneto-optic head. One possible solution to this problem is to use optical fibers for magneto-optic recording heads. Since a polarization preserving fiber is a birefringent waveguide, the output state of polarization of light is dependent upon the orientation of light with respect to the fiber axes, and the length of the optical fiber. However, if the phase relation between the two fiber modes is maintained, the input polarization state can be reconstructed. Unfortunately, the phase relation between the two fiber modes is not maintained under flexure and in the presence of small temperature fluctuations. These phase fluctuations can be removed by common mode rejection using the reciprocal rotated reflection method (RPRR).1,2 Using a single mode polarization preserving fiber at 633 nm, striped domains were statically written and read using the RPRR method. The size of the domains were ∼1.4 μm in width and were spaced at 50 μm intervals. Static readings were taken at 10 μm intervals. A microsope imaging system was incorporated into the experimental setup to visually verify written domains and to ensure accuracy in reading these domains. Measurements were made with and without the RPRR method to demonstrate the effectiveness of the common mode cancellation. Composition of the magneto-optic sample used is RE/TM gadolinium iron terbium cobalt with a Kerr rotation of 84 min and a coercivity of 3500 Oe.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.352456
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