The influence of the admixing of different multiplets on the spin magnetic moment and Faraday effect of rare earth ions in Garnets

Abstract

The influence of the admixing of the excited multiplets of the ground configuration with the ground multiplet on the spin magnetic moment of the crystal- field- and exchange-interaction-split ground state, the Faraday rotation and the magneto-optic coefficient induced by the rare earth ions in rare-earth-substituted garnets Y3-xRxFe5O12 (R=Ce and Pr) has been calculated in this paper. It is found that, in the case of Ce3+ ions, the admixing of the 4f1 2F7/2 multiplet with the 2F5/2 multiplet makes the spin magnetic moment of the crystal-field- and exchange-interaction-split ground state increase by 140% and the Faraday rotation increase by 180% at 633 nm wavelength, and 150% at 1150 nm at 294 K. In the case of Pr3+ ions, the admixing of the 4f2 3H5 multiplet with the 3H4 multiplet makes the spin magnetic moment of the crystal-field- and exchange-interaction-split ground state increase by 34% and the Faraday rotation increase by 59% at 294 K. The admixing of different multiplets of the Ce3+ ions makes the ratio between the magneto-optic coefficients at 50 and 294 K increase by 7% at 633 nm wavelength and 15% at 1150 nm.