Aerodynamic Levitation Melt-Quenching Fabricated Tb3+-Doped La2O3–TiO2–Ga2O3–ZrO2 Glass with a High Verdet Constant for Photonic Applications

Magneto-optical (MO) glasses exhibit strong effects like the Faraday effect, enabling light control via magnetic fields. They efficiently rotate polarized light, making them essential for optical isolators and modulators requiring precise polarization control. We report the development of a novel Tb3+-doped La2O3–TiO2–Ga2O3–ZrO2 (LTGZ) glass system synthesized using the aerodynamic levitation melt-quenching (ALMQ) technique. This containerless, high-temperature processing ensures superior compositional homogeneity, phase control, and contamination-free synthesis which is essential for producing highly homogeneous, amorphous glasses with superior magneto optical quality. By systematically varying Tb2O3 concentrations (3–8 mol %), a maximum Verdet constant of 169.112 rad/(T m) at 650 nm was achieved, surpassing that of commercial terbium gallium garnet (TGG, ~125 rad/(T m)). Comprehensive structural, optical, and thermal analyses confirm the material’s amorphous nature, low phonon energy (~539 cm–1), excellent infrared transparency, and robust thermal stability (Tg = 886.2 °C). These attributes collectively position the LTGZ-Tb glass as a promising candidate for next-generation magneto-optical isolators, modulators, and integrated photonic circuits. This work highlights a new pathway for cost-effective, high-performance Faraday materials compatible with photonic miniaturization and device integration.