Preparation of Bi₂Gd₁Fe₅O₁₂ magnetic garnet films showing Faraday rotation of 36.3 deg./µm on glass substrates by metal organic decomposition method

Abstract

We fabricated the Bi₂Gd₁Fe₅O₁₂ thin films on glass substrates with the Gd₃Fe₅O₁₂ buffer layer by the metal organic decomposition (MOD) method. We found an optimum thickness of the Gd₃Fe₅O₁₂ buffer layer and annealing temperature for crystallization giving the maximum Faraday rotation. The optimum sample showed Faraday rotation of as high as 36.3 deg./µm at the wavelength λ = 500 nm, which is 23 times larger than the sample without the Gd₃Fe₅O₁₂ buffer layer, and as high as 90.1% of the single crystalline Bi₂Gd₁Fe₅O₁₂ thin films on an (111) SGGG single crystal substrate. These results are promising for applications in optical waveguide isolators and magneto-optic spatial light modulators.