Faraday effects emerging from the optical magnetic field

Abstract The Faraday effect (FE) is commonly attributed to the electrical component of optical radiation. Recently, we reported on an inverse-FE (IFE) that emerges from the Zeeman energy arising from the optical magnetic field. Here, we show that the magnetic component of light reproduces additional signatures observed experimentally in the IFE. Consequently, we show that the magnetic component of light also contributes to the reciprocal, direct FE. Calculating the Verdet constant for the well-studied Terbium-Gallium-Garnet, we find that it accounts for $$\sim 17\%$$ of the measured value at 800 mm. The Verdet constants derived for the FE and IFE are found to be different, consistent with the breakdown of reciprocity between the two effects in the nonequilibrium ultrafast timescales as reported previously. Our findings highlight the role of the optical magnetic field in the interaction between light and spins, in addition to the primary effects that stem from the electrical field.