Structure and Magnetic Properties of Ce-Substituted Yttrium Iron Garnet Prepared by Conventional Sintering Techniques

Y3-xCexFe5O12 (CeYIG) ceramics, with x = 0, 0.15, 0.25, 0.35, 0.45, and 0.5, were fabricated by a conventional ceramic sintering technique. We studied the structures and magnetic fields of a series of CeYIG ceramics using X-ray powder diffraction, a scanning electron microscope, and a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. Findings showed that the substitution limit of the concentration of Ce3+ ions in the yttrium iron garnet structure was approximately x = 0.25. An extra CeO2 phase was detected in the ceramic when the addition of CeO2 content overtook the limit. The lattice constants and relative densities increased by increasing the Ce3+ contents in the ceramics. First, the saturation magnetization increased gradually with increases in the substitute concentration of Ce3+ ions and then decreased gradually when x = 0.35, 0.45, and 0.5. Overall, this study showed that the Y3-xCexFe5O12 material with x = 0.15 exhibited excellent magnetic properties. Hence, the material show promise for magneto-optical and microwave communication applications.