Study of the cation distribution in the surface layer and bulk of substituted iron garnet films

Abstract

A comparative analysis has been carried out of the physical-chemical state of the surface and bulk of single-crystal films of the iron garnet Y2.6Sm0.4Fe3.7Ga1.3O12 on substrates consisting of a gadolinium-gallium garnet single crystal. To carry out this study, we used the method of simultaneous γ-ray, x-ray, and electron Mosbauer spectroscopy, which made it possible to simultaneously extract information from the surface layers and the bulk of the sample. This method was applied using a precision system for the motion for the Mossbauer source. It is shown that the parameters of the hyperfine interactions in the surface layer and in the bulk of the film differ, and that these differences increase towards the surface. This result is explained by the fact that the surface layer is formed as the substrate, together with the synthesized film, is removed from the flux and, consequently, the temperature conditions of synthesis of the bulk and of the surface layer are different.