Temperature-induced phase transitions in Co-doped YIG films

The garnet YIG:Co films have been investigated within the temperature range 10-300 K. Torque magnetometry study showed the temperature-induced spin-reorientation phase transitions. Using the Faraday effect, magnetic domain structures were visualized by optical microscope and analyzed by digital image processing technique. Temperature- and magnetic-field-induced transitions between phases with in-plane and out-of-plane magnetization were studied by the magneto-optical technique. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.