Magnetic characterization of epitaxial Y5FeeO 12/Bi3Fe5O12 and Y 5Fe3O12/Eu1Bi2Fe 5 O12 heterostructures grown by pulsed laser deposition

Epitaxial Y3Fe5O12(YIG)/Bi 3Fe5O12(BIG) and YIG/Eu1Bi 2Fe5O12(EBIG) heterostructures have been grown on [111] oriented single-crystalline gadolinium-gallium-garnet substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The effects of the layer thickness ratios on the composition, microstructure, and magnetic properties of the films have been studied employing x-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, vibration sample magnetometry, and Kerr magnetometry. All films under investigation are single crystalline, in the [111] orientation. The multilayered heterostructures displayed superior magnetic properties in comparison to their single crystalline monolayer counterparts, deposited at the same conditions. The YIG/BIG heterostructures indicate increased in-plane saturation magnetic moments, approaching the maximum saturation value in bulk YIG. The YIG/EBIG heterostructures show a definite reorientation of the magnetic moment in the out-of-plane direction, a new set of increased saturation magnetization values that go even above that recorded for the bulk YIG, as well as an increase in coercivity.