Flux reversal in thin single-crystal films of gadolinium iron garnet

Abstract

Single-crystal gadolinium iron garnet films, grown epitaxially on yttrium aluminum garnet substrates, have a stress induced easy axis of magnetization normal to the film plane. This uniaxial anisotropy was measured and found to agree with values expected from differential thermal expansion between film and substrate. Wall creep experiments show that flux reversal occurs by wall motion at fields about one-fifth the rotational switching threshold. A model, describing magnetization reversal under quasi-static conditions, is derived from such experiments.