Enhancing the Magnetic and Magneto-optical Properties of Praseodymium-substituted Bi-YIG Thin Film on Glass Substrate Prepared by Metal-organic Decomposition

Praseodymium (Pr)- and bismuth (Bi)-substituted yttrium (Y) iron (Fe) garnet (PrSUBx/SUBYSUB2-x/SUBBi₁FeSUB5/SUBOSUB12/SUB where x = 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2) thin films were prepared on glass substrate using a metal-organic decomposition (MOD) method. Their magneto-optical properties were studied as a function of Pr concentration. Praseodymium has two functions in PrSUBx/SUBYSUB2-x/SUBBi₁FeSUB5/SUBOSUB12/SUB thin films, i.e., it (i) improves spin-orbit interaction strength and (ii) increases magnetic properties; both are expected to strongly enhance the Faraday rotation (FR) angle of the thin film. Our study demonstrated that the Pr₁Y₁Bi₁FeSUB5/SUBOSUB12/SUB thin-film displayed the highest FR angle, of –13 °/μm, which is 1.6-times higher than that of the PrSUBx/SUBYSUB2-x/SUBBi₁FeSUB5/SUBOSUB12/SUB thin film without Pr dopant. The Pr₁Bi₁Y₁FeSUB5/SUBOSUB12/SUB thin film fabricated on a glass substrate by the MOD method displayed excellent MO performance and is a potential candidate for application in optical devices.