Routing the emission of a near-surface light source by a magnetic field

F. Spitzer, A. N. Poddubny, I. A. Akimov, V. F. Sapega, L. Klompmaker, L. E. Kreilkamp, L. V. Litvin, R. Jede, G. Karczewski, M. Wiater, T. Wojtowicz, D. R. Yakovlev, M. Bayer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Magneto-optical phenomena such as the Faraday and Kerr effects play a central role in controlling the polarization and intensity of optical fields propagating through a medium. Intensity effects in which the direction of light emission depends on the orientation of the external magnetic field are of particular interest, as they can be harnessed for routing light. Effects known so far for accomplishing such routing all control light emission along the axis parallel to the magnetic field. Here we report a new class of emission phenomena where directionality is established perpendicular to the externally applied magnetic field for light sources located in the vicinity of a surface. As a proof of principle for this effect, which we call transverse magnetic routing of light emission, we demonstrate the routing of emission for excitons in a diluted-magnetic-semiconductor quantum well. In hybrid plasmonic semiconductor structures, we observe significantly enhanced directionality of up to 60%.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1043-1048
Number of pages6
JournalNature Physics
Volume14
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Oct 2018
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Physics and Astronomy

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