(ErEu)3 (FeGa)5O12 garnet films for magnetic writing and magneto-optic displays

Abstract

Thin films of (ErEu)₃ (FeGa)₅O₁₂ garnet have been grown by liquid‐phase epitaxy onto (111) ‐oriented GGG substrates, by increasing in steps the Ga₂O₃ concentration in the melt. For the molar ratio Fe₂O₃/Ga₂O₃ ranging from 8.3 to 7.6, the films show large ’’rag’’ domains rather than the usual strip‐domain pattern. These ’’rag’’ domains can be given any predetermined shape under the drive of external magnetic fields, the obtained figures being stable without need of any bias field. These features make rag‐domain films suitable for magnetic writing and magneto‐optic displays. Measurements of the relevant parameters of a number of such films show that reasonable material performances are obtainable.