Temperature-dependent Faraday rotation and magnetization reorientation in cerium-substituted yttrium iron garnet thin films

We report on the temperature dependence of the magnetic and magneto-optical properties in cerium-substituted yttrium iron garnet (Ce: YIG) thin films. Measurements of the Faraday rotation as a function of temperature show that the magnetic easy axis of thin Ce: YIG films reorients from in-plane to out-of-plane on cooling below -100 degrees C. We argue that the temperature-dependence of the magnetostriction and magnetocrystalline anisotropy of Ce: YIG is the dominant factor contributing to the change in easy axis direction, and we describe the changes in the magneto-optical spectra with temperature. (C) 2017 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.