Medical Definition of Faraday rotator
1.
A device which rotates the plane of polarization of an optical-light pulse, typically by using a glass disc suitably doped with a magnetic ion and placed in a magnetic field.
These devices are used to isolate (protect) a laser amplifier chain against back-reflection from the laser target, the Faraday rotator in this case gives a 90-degree phase change on the round trip, so that the returning light is rejected by a polarizer which transmits the outgoing light. Magnetised plasmas also display the Faraday rotation effect of light waves propagating along the magnetic field lines.
(09 Oct 1997)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Faraday Rotator
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