Magnetic and magneto-optical properties of Y/sub 3/Fe/sub 5/O/sub 12//Eu/sub 1/Bi/sub 2/Fe/sub 5/O/sub 12/ heterostructures

Superlattice heterostructures consisting of alternating single crystalline ferrimagnetic yttrium-iron-garnet (YIG) and Eu-substituted-bismuth-iron garnet (EBIG) thin films, deposited on [111] oriented single crystalline gadolinium-gallium-garnet substrates, show an increase in coercivity and Kerr rotation with the thickness ratio between the EBIG and the YIG layers. The substitution of one Eu/sup +3/ ion per unit formula also induces the change in easy magnetization direction from in-plane to out-of-plane for all the EBIG/YIG films.