Measurement of the infrared magneto-optic properties of thin-film metals and high temperature superconductors

The use of polarization modulation technique to measure induced ellipticity and Faraday rotation in high temperature superconductors and thin film metals was discussed. The technique measured infrared magneto-optical properties using heterodyne detection and photoelastic modulation. The results show that for the MIR radiation used, no absorption occurs and the interband contribution is restricted to an anisotropy in the index of refraction. The difference in index is found to lead to a phase shift between the right and left circularly polarized light.