ISSN:
1089-7550
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
Multilayered garnet heterostructures of Y3Fe5O12 (YIG) and Eu1Bi2Fe5O12 (EBIG) have been deposited on single crystalline [111] oriented Gd3Ga5O12 (GGG) substrates, pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Magnetic (vibrating sample magnetometer) and magneto-optical (reflective Faraday effect) measurements have indicated out-of-plane magnetization for all YIG/EBIG films, coercivities up to 1.2 kOe, and Faraday rotations as high as 50 000 deg/cm. According to x-ray diffraction experiments, all films are single crystalline, [111] oriented. Initial high resolution transmission electron microscopy studies have shown epitaxial growth of both YIG and EBIG layers. All samples had YIG deposited as the first layer of the heterostructure because of its small lattice mismatch with the substrate. As a consequence, all films showed sharp interfaces between the substrate and the first YIG layer. At the second interface, between the YIG layer and the first EBIG layer, structural defects were noted to form in the EBIG film. The thickness ratios between YIG and EBIG layers were intentionally changed during the processing to study the effect on magneto-optical properties. Transmission electron microscopy characterization indicated changes in the interface morphology, with some films displaying high coherence and sharpness of the interfaces, while others showed wavy and very incoherent interfaces. The films with sharp interfaces showed the highest values of Faraday rotation. Since there were no processing parameter changes from one film to another, the results appear to indicate that the morphology of the interfaces is the result of thickness variations in the heterostructures. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.362111
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