The shapes of ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectra of laser deposited epitaxial Y3Fe5O12 (YIG) films strongly depend on the orientation of the magnetic field with respect to the crystalline axes of the film. Strain and compositional inhomogeneties in the films define local magnetic anisotropies and could be responsible for the complexity of FMR spectra. We show that, in accordance with the Smit-Suhl formula, the contribution from a spatial distribution of the cubic magnetocrystalline anisotropy to the FMR spectra vanishes at certain orientations ("critical angles") of the magnetic field. We prove experimentally that it is a necessary condition to orient the magnetic field at the critical angles in order to measure single-line FMR spectra in an inhomogenous laser deposited YIG film.
The thesis explores preparation and properties of bismuthiron garnet (BIG) films and the incorporation of BIG films intoone-dimensional magneto-optical photonic crystals (MOPCs).
Films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition. Weinvestigated or measured crystallinity, morphology,film-substrate interface, cracks, roughness, composition,magnetic coercivity, refractive index and extinctioncoefficient, and magneto-optical Faraday rotation (FR) andellipticity. The investigations were partly performed onselected samples, and partly on two series of films ondifferent substrates and of different thicknesses. BIG filmswere successfully tested for the application of magneto-opticalvisualization. The effect of annealing in oxygen atmosphere wasalso investigated - very careful annealing can increase FR byup to 20%. A smaller number of the above mentionedinvestigations were carried out on yttrium iron garnet (YIG)films as well.
Periodical BIG-YIG multilayers with up to 25 single layerswere designed and prepared with the purpose to enhance FR at aselected wavelength. A central BIG layer was introduced asdefect layer into the MOPC structure and generated resonancesin optical transmittance and FR at a chosen design wavelength.In a 17- layer structure, at the wavelength of 748 nm, FR wasincreased from -2.6 deg/µm to -6.3 deg/µmat a smallreduction in transmittance from 69% to 58% as compared to asingle-layer BIG film of equivalent thickness. In contrast tothick BIG films, the MOPCs did not crack. We were first toreport preparation of all-garnet MOPCs and second toexperimentally demonstrate the MOPC principle inmagneto-optical garnets.
Films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition. We investigated or measured crystallinity, morphology, film-substrate interface, cracks, roughness, composition, magnetic coercivity, refractive index and extinction coefficient, and magneto-optical Faraday rotation (FR) and ellipticity. The investigations were partly performed on selected samples, and partly on two series of films on different substrates and of different thicknesses. BIG films were successfully tested for the application of magneto-optical visualization. The effect of annealing in oxygen atmosphere was also investigated-very careful annealing can increase FR by up to 20%. Periodical BIG-YIG multilayers with up to 25 single layers were designed and prepared with the purpose to enhance FR at a selected wavelength. A central BIG layer was introduced as defect layer into this one-dimensional magneto-optical photonic crystal (MOPC) and generated resonances in optical transmittance and FR at a chosen design wavelength. In a 17-layer structure, at the wavelength of 748 nm, FR was increased from -2.6 deg/mum to -6.3 deg/mum at a small reduction in transmittance from 69% to 58% as compared to a single-layer BIG film of equivalent thickness. In contrast to thick BIG films, the MOPCs did not crack. We were first to report preparation of all-garnet MOPCs and second to experimentally demonstrate the MOPC principle in magneto-optical garnets.
We present spectra of transmittance, reflectance, and Faraday rotation of transmitted and reflected light for a periodic garnet multilayer structure with a central defect layer. The multilayer consists of alternating layers of bismuth and yttrium iron garnet, is 1.5 mu m thick, and was prepared by pulsed laser deposition. For the reflection measurements, a silver mirror was evaporated on top of the multilayer. Faraday rotation is strongly enhanced at resonances in transmission and reflection. The peak value obtained at 748 nm in transmission is 5:3 deg and at 733 nm in reflection is 18 deg. A single layer BIG film of equivalent thickness shows 2.2 deg Faraday rotation at 748 nm. We find rather good agreement between measured and calculated spectra. Using calculations of the distributions of light intensities at different wavelengths inside the multilayer, we are able to give consistent qualitative explanations for the enhancement of Faraday rotation. We also find numerically that - at moderate strengths of the optical resonances - a linear relation exists between Faraday rotation and the intensity integrated over all magneto-optically active layers, if absorption is neglected. We suggest to modify the usual sensor film for magneto-optical imaging by introducing a Bragg mirror consisting of heteroepitaxial garnet layers between the substrate and sensor film. For one example situation, we show by calculation that the quality factors of image contrast and optical efficiency can be higher for heteroepitaxial garnet multilayers than for single-layer iron garnet films currently in use as sensor films.
Research on magneto-optical photonic crystals has so far been focused on theoretical investigations, because suitable multilayers of iron garnet, the most promising material, have not been readily available. We report the preparation and characterization of a one-dimensional magneto-optical photonic crystal composed of 17 heteroepitaxial layers of bismuth iron garnet and yttrium iron garnet. The magneto-optical Faraday rotation was increased by 140% while transmission decreased by just 16% at the design wavelength of 750 nm as compared with a single-layer bismuth iron garnet film of equivalent thickness. The sample is free of cracks, and good agreement of simulated and experimental spectra of optical transmission and Faraday rotation indicate high quality of the sample and robustness of the preparation technique.
Bismuth iron garnet (BIG) films of thicknesses from 470 to 2560 nm were prepared by pulsed laser deposition under identical deposition conditions. All films are epitaxial, bismuth deficient, and show rms surface roughnesses between 15 and 40 nm. X-ray coherence lengths decrease with increasing film thickness. Films below approximately 1 pm are free of cracks, thicker films possess a network of cracks. From fits of optical transmission spectra, real and imaginary parts of the refractive indices were found for wavelengths from 500 to 850 nm. The effects of thin film interference and surface roughness were included. With these data as input information, each of our experimental Faraday rotation spectra was described by a single diamagnetic line in visible light. The measured spectra could be reproduced and parameters of the magneto-optical transition were obtained. We observed a broadening of the transition with increasing film thickness and a red shift of the center frequency. This corresponds to our experimental observation that the wavelength of maximum Faraday rotation for BIG films in visible light shifts to longer wavelengths by almost 40 nm for a 2560-nm-thick film as compared to a 470-nm-thick film. As BIG is not thermodynamically stable, aging is a crucial question. We found that careful annealing in oxygen below the deposition temperature increases the angle of Faraday rotation, while film properties deteriorate during long annealing times at the deposition temperature.