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A cerium-substituted yttrium iron garnet (Y3-x Ce x Fe5O12) single crystal was grown by the traveling solvent floating zone (TSFZ) method in an oxygen environment. Using a Fe- and Ce-rich solvent, high quality single crystals with smooth and lustrous surface were grown at a rate of 1.0 mm/h. The segregation coefficient of Ce was calculated approximately as 0.2 from the compositional profile in the grown crystals measured by electron probe X-ray microanalyzer (EPMA). The optical absorption coefficient and the Faraday rotation angle of Y2.82Ce0.18Fe5O12 at 1550 nm wavelength were 0.12 cm-1 and -740 deg/cm, respectively. The figure of merit of a Faraday rotator was 1423 deg/dB. The absorption loss and sensitivity of the same Y2.82Ce0.18Fe5O12 (d=0.6 mm) for the magnetic field sensor were 0.03 dB and 0.1%/Oe, respectively, at 1550 nm wavelength. These results suggest that cerium-substituted yttrium iron garnet is a high performance material for the Faraday rotator at 1550 nm wavelength.

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We describe a new method of angle measurement that is based on the internal-reflection effect at an air-glass boundary. The method uses a differential detection scheme to largely reduce the inherent nonlinearity of the reflectance versus the angle of incidence in internal reflection. With nonlinearity reduced, the displacement of the angle of incidence can be determined accurately by measuring the reflectance. The resolution and measurement range are determined by the initial angle of incidence, the polarization state of the light, and the number of reflections. Compared with interferometers and autocollimators, this method has the advantage of a simple sensor design for applications ranging from a wide measurement range to extremely high resolution. Other advantages are compact size, simple structure, and low cost. A theoretical analysis of the method and some experimental results of a prototype sensor are presented. The possible applications of the method are also discussed.