Anomalous polarization conversion in arrays of ultrathin ferromagnetic nanowires

TL;DR

This paper investigates the unusual polarization conversion phenomena in ultrathin ferromagnetic nanowire arrays using Brillouin light scattering, revealing enhanced circular polarization due to unconventional refraction effects.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to probe local electric field polarization in nanowires and reports unprecedented polarization conversion behavior in ultrathin ferromagnetic nanowire arrays.

Findings

Observation of anomalous polarization conversion with opposite sign to bulk media

Significant enhancement of circular polarization degree

Identification of unconventional refraction effects in nanowire medium

Abstract

We study optical properties of arrays of ultrathin nanowires by means of the Brillouin scattering of light on magnons. We employ the Stokes/anti-Stokes scattering asymmetry to probe the circular polarization of a local electric field induced inside nanowires by linearly polarized light waves. We observe the anomalous polarization conversion of the opposite sign than that in a bulk medium or thick nanowires with a great enhancement of the degree of circular polarization attributed to an unconventional refraction in the nanowire medium.