SYNTHESIS OF FERROMAGNETIC BISUBSTITUTED YTTRIUM-IRON-GARNET FILMS BY LASER ABLATION

Bismuth-substituted yttrium iron garnet (Bi:YIG) films were deposited on gadolinium gallium garnet substrate by laser ablation using the ArF excimer laser. This is the first report on the preparation of Bi-substituted YIG films by laser ablation. Films have a garnet single phase above the substrate temperature of 490-degrees-C, and the film composition does not deviate largely from the target composition and it is almost constant in the temperature range between 490 and 580-degrees-C. The saturation magnetization of the film is 1500 G at room temperature. Faraday rotation angle theta-F at a wavelength of 830 nm at room temperature is - 0.3 X 10(4)-degrees/cm.