Abstract:

This chapter first summarizes the fundamentals of classical electrodynamics in continuous media, placing emphasis on the optical response of gyrotropic materials. It, subsequently, develops in a concise but rigorous manner the scattering- and transfer-matrix methods for general stratified photonic media, based on a versatile six-vector formulation of Maxwell equations. Applications are reported for periodic and defect one-dimensional (1D) magnetophotonic structures in different configurations. A consistent interpretation of some remarkable phenomena, such as occurrence of photonic gaps and localized defect modes, enhanced magnetooptical effects, non-reciprocal optical response, etc., is provided through a thorough analysis of relevant dispersion diagrams in conjunction with transmission/reflection spectra. Finally, the concept of a dual optomagnonic cavity, formed in judiciously designed stratified magnetophotonic structures, for strong photon–magnon interaction is introduced. Methods for its theoretical description, namely the Green’s function-based perturbation expansion, the quasi-static adiabatic approximation, and a fully dynamic time-Floquet approach, are developed, and their accuracy and limits of validity are assessed. Proof-of-concept demonstrations are presented for enhanced interaction of light, trapped in optical defect modes, with perpendicular standing spin waves, in a dielectric magnetic film sandwiched between two dielectric Bragg mirrors.