Epitaxial growth of terbium iron garnet thin films with out-of-plane axis of magnetization

We fabricate epitaxial terbium iron garnet (Tb3Fe5O12, TbIG) thin films on (110) gadolinium gallium garnet (Gd3Ga5O12, GGG) substrates using a pulsed laser deposition technique. High quality (110) oriented epitaxial growth of TbIG thin films has been revealed by theta-2 theta scans, phi-scans, rocking curves ((omega-scans), and reciprocal space mapping in high resolution X-ray diffraction. Magnetic and magneto-optic hysteresis loops, however, demonstrate that the easy axis of magnetization in these films is out-of-plane, i.e. along [110] instead of [1-11] direction, as sharp contrast to bulk. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.