Magnetophotonics of the midwavelength and longwavelength infrared radiation: research and development.

Magnetophotonics is a relatively new field of optics that studies photonic structures containing magneto-optical materials. In an external magnetic field such magnetophotonic structures (MPS) change their optical properties. Currently, the devices that are based on magneto-optical grenades are applicable in optical systems, using the visible and near infrared spectral ranges.Using the mid-wavelength (MWIR) and long-wavelength (LWIR) infrared regions spectrum significantly expands the scope of optical instruments because of the following: many substances have characteristic absorption lines in these areas of the spectrum; they account for the maximum thermal radiation of objects with temperature of 10-50C, which is very important for a number of detection systems. In these spectral ranges, there are windows of the atmospheric transmission.

In a series of works, MPS based on A3B5 semiconductors were studied. These semiconductors, due to the low value of the effective mass of electrons, have sufficiently high magneto-optical properties in MWIR and LWIR. It was shown, that such MPS have a pronounced photonic band structure, the parameters of which change in an experimentally achievable magnetic field. Based on the results, it was proposed how to study the parameters of materials and a number of magnetically controlled optical devices for MWIR and LWIR. In addition to the traditional devices, the narrow-band non-luminescent emitters with modulated intensity can be obtained. Such emitters can be widely used in gas analyzers, optical devices for detection and identification of organic compounds.