High-Refractive-Index Materials for Giant Enhancement of the Transverse Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect

Abstract

The ability of plasmonic structures to confine and enhance light at nanometer length scales has been traditionally exploited to boost the magneto-optical effects in magneto-plasmonic structures. These platforms allows for light control via externally applied magnetic fields, which is of prime importance for sensing, data storage, optical-isolation, and telecommunications applications. However, applications are hindered by the high-level of ohmic losses associated to metallic and ferromagnetic components. Here, we use a lossless all-dielectric platform for giant enhancement of the magneto-optical effects. Our structure consists of a high-refractive index dielectric film on top of a magnetic dielectric substrate. We numerically demonstrate an extraordinarily enhanced transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect due to the Fabry–Perot resonances supported by the high-refractive index slab. Potential applications for sensing and biosensing are also illustrated in this work.