Magneto-optical properties of cerium substituted yttrium iron garnet films with reduced thermal budget for monolithic photonic integrated circuits

Thin films of polycrystalline cerium substituted yttrium iron garnet (CeYIG) were grown on an yttrium iron garnet (YIG) seed layer on Si and Si-on-insulator substrates by pulsed laser deposition, and their optical and magneto-optical properties in the near-IR region were measured. A YIG seed layer of similar to 30 nm thick processed by rapid thermal anneal at 800 degrees C provided a virtual substrate to promote crystallization of the CeYIG. The effect of the thermal budget of the YIG/CeYIG growth process on the film structure, magnetic and magnetooptical properties was determined. (C)2012 Optical Society of America