STRUCTURAL AND MAGNETO-OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF PULSED LASER DEPOSITED Bi SUBSTITUTED IRON GARNET FILMS

Abstract

  Oriented, highly Bi substituted Dy iron garnet films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy have been grown by pulsed laser deposition on (111) Ga₃Gd₅O₁₂, single crystal substrates, The effect of substrate temperature and oxygen pressure on the structure and magneto-optical properties of the films has been investigated. The Bi stoichiometry was found to be sensitive to both substrate temperature and oxygen pressure. The results suggest that at elevated temperatures required to nucleate the garnet phase, the oxygen background pressure must be sufficiently high to incorporate the volatile Bi atoms into the film. Reduced oxygen pressures negatively affect the perpendicular anisotropy.