Magneto-optical rare earth metal-iron garnet - produced as thin epitaxial layer with addn of bismuth and opt. lead or barium ions

摘要

Monocrystalline rare earth metal-iron garnet layer is epitaxially formed from the liquid phase on a crystallographically definite surface of a monocrystal, e.g. (Gd, Sm)13 Ga5O12, with the proviso that Bi ions are introduced into a part of the dodecahedral sites, whilst the tetrahedral sites are occupied by Fe3+. Opt., the rare earth metal ions (Su, Yb, Tm or Er) are further partly replaced by Pb2+ or Ba2+. The addition of Bi3+ enhances the magneto-optical props. of the product; materials contg. Pb have strong optical absorption. This product is suitable for use in devices based on the magneto-optical Faraday effect or the magneto-optical Kerr effect, such as light modulators, circulators, gyrators, optical display units (esp. 'bubble-display'), thermo-magnetic recorders, magneto-optical data-recovery devices, etc.