Modeling of high-speed magnetooptic beam deflection

We propose a magnetooptic (MO) deflector based on a thin-film iron garnet material that operates in the gigahertz regime. The Landau-Lifshitz equation, which governs magnetization dynamics, is combined with a beam-propagation method (BPM) to evaluate the performance of the proposed device. Using practical material parameters, a deflection efficiency of 20% is predicted. Diffraction effects and temporal response are discussed and illustrated using a quasi-time-dependent BPM. This theoretical framework is not only useful for the demonstration of the MO beam deflector, but it is also practical in the design and optimization of other magnetophotonic devices.