Bi-Substituted Iron Garnet Films for Thermomagnetic Recording, Photonics, and Plasmonics: Optimization of Synthesis Conditions Using Scanning Probe Microscopy

We present the results of studies on the optimization of the synthesis of Bi-substituted iron garnet (Bi : IG) films by liquid-phase epitaxy and vacuum deposition followed by crystallization. The effect of the parameter of mismatch between the crystal lattices of the film and the substrate on the functional properties of thin single-crystal high-coercive Bi : IG films is demonstrated. The regime of high-temperature annealing of deposited films was optimized in order to form layers with a high bismuth concentration for magnetophotonic and magnetoplasmonic structures. It was established that annealing of the Bi : IG layer under a SiO2 layer deposited on top will reduce the roughness of interfaces in multilayer structures.