Sub-pico-liter magneto-optical cavities

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel open magneto-optical cavity with a significantly reduced optical mode volume, enhancing the potential for efficient microwave-to-optical conversion using ferromagnetic magnons.

Contribution

We demonstrate a new open cavity design with a 0.1 pL mode volume, enabling stronger magnon-photon coupling and advancing the development of microwave-optical conversion devices.

Findings

Achieved a 0.1 pL optical mode volume, 50 times smaller than previous devices.

Estimated magnon single-photon coupling rate of approximately 50 Hz.

Open cavity design allows for wavelength-scale mode volumes and improved mode overlap.

Abstract

Microwave-to-optical conversion via ferromagnetic magnons has so-far been limited by the optical coupling rates achieved in mm-scale whispering gallery mode resonators. Towards overcoming this limitation, we propose and demonstrate an open magneto-optical cavity containing a thin-film of yttrium iron garnet (YIG). We achieve a 0.1 pL (100 $\mu$m$^{3}$) optical mode volume, $\sim$50 times smaller than previous devices. From this, we estimate the magnon single-photon coupling rate is $G\approx50$ Hz. This open cavity design offers the prospect of wavelength scale mode volumes, small polarization splittings, and good magneto-optical mode overlap. With achievable further improvements and optimization, efficient microwave-optical conversion and magnon cooling devices become a realistic possibility.