摘要:
The invention relates to an optical device for polarizing light by changing its Faraday rotation angle, such as optical attenuators, optical switches or polarization controllers; and its object is to provide such an optical device which can be driven even by small-sized and power-saving magnetic circuits and in which the insertion loss in the Faraday rotator may be reduced. The optical device comprises a Faraday rotator formed of a garnet single crystal, and a magnetic circuit applying an external magnetic field H that is smaller than the saturation magnetic field Hs of the Faraday rotator to the Faraday rotator.