We report on the first observation of microvolt-scale inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) dc voltage driven by an acoustic spin pumping (ASP) in a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator formed by a Al-ZnO-Al-YIG(1)-GGG-YIG(2)-Pt structure. When 2 mW power is applied to an Al-ZnO-Al transducer, the voltage V_ISHE ∼ 4 μV in the Pt film is observed as a result of resonant ASP from YIG(2) to Pt in the area ∼ 170 μm. The results of frequency and magnetic field mapping of V_ISHE(f,H) together with reflectivity of the resonator show an obvious agreement between the positions of the voltage maxima and BAW resonance frequencies f_n(H) on the (f, H) plane. At the same time a significant asymmetry of the V_ISHE(f_n(H)) value in reference to the magnetoelastic resonance (MER) line f_MER(H) position is revealed, which is explained by asymmetry of the magnetoelastic waves dispersion law.

The effects of exchange coupling on magnetic switching properties of all-garnet multilayer thin film structures are investigated. All-garnet structures are fabricated by sandwiching a magneto-soft material of composition type Bi_1.8Lu_1.2Fe_3.6Al_1.4O₁₂ or Bi₃Fe₅O₁₂:Dy₂O₃ in between two magneto-hard garnet material layers of composition type Bi₂Dy₁Fe₄Ga₁O₁₂ or Bi₂Dy₁Fe₄Ga₁O₁₂:Bi₂O₃. The fabricated RF magnetron sputtered exchange-coupled all-garnet multilayers demonstrate a very attractive combination of magnetic properties, and are of interest for emerging applications in optical sensors and isolators, ultrafast nanophotonics and magneto-plasmonics. An unconventional type of magnetic hysteresis behavior not observed previously in magnetic garnet thin films is reported and discussed.

Magneto-optic (MO) imaging and sensing are at present the most developed practical applications of thin-film MO garnet materials. However, in order to improve sensitivity for a range of established and forward-looking applications, the technology and component-related advances are still necessary. These improvements are expected to originate from new material system development. We propose a set of technological modifications for the RF-magnetron sputtering deposition and crystallization annealing of magneto-optic bismuth-substituted iron-garnet films and investigate the improved material properties. Results show that standard crystallization annealing for the as-deposited ultrathin (sputtered 10 nm thick, amorphous phase) films resulted in more than a factor of two loss in the magneto-optical activity of the films in the visible spectral region, compared to the liquid-phase grown epitaxial films. Results also show that an additional 10 nm-thick metal-oxide (Bi₂O₃) protective layer above the amorphous film results in ~2.7 times increase in the magneto-optical quality of crystallized iron-garnet films. On the other hand, the effects of post-deposition oxygen (O₂) plasma treatment on the magneto-optical (MO) properties of Bismuth substituted iron garnet thin film materials are investigated. Results show that in the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum (at 532 nm), the O₂ treated (up to 3 min) garnet films retain higher specific Faraday rotation and figures of merit compared to non-treated garnet films.

A study of the initial stages of crystallization in RF magnetron-sputtered ferrite garnet films is reported, in which a series of ultrathin Bi₂Dy₁Fe₄Ga₁O₁₂ layers is fabricated and characterized. The spectral and temperature dependencies of magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) of these films are studied in the temperature range from 300 K down to 8 K. Measured magneto-optical properties are reported in the spectral range between 300 and 600 nm. In ultrathin garnets at temperatures below 160 K, we found that between 360 and 520 nm, the spectral MCD dependencies were typical of bismuth-substituted garnets with high levels of gallium dilution in the tetrahedral sublattice. The MCD signal strength measured at its 440 nm peak grows linearly with reducing temperature between 160 K and 8 K. This observed temperature dependency of MCD differed dramatically from these measured in thicker (3.7 nm) nanocrystalline garnet films. The peak MCD signal at 440 nm in these 3.7 nm-thick samples grows linearly from 215 K down to 100 K, resembling the same dependency seen in 1.7 nm films. In thinnest layers of thickness 0.6 nm, no MCD signals were observed at any temperature in the range between 8 and 300 K.

The luminescence, absorption and circular dichroism spectra of langasite family crystals La₃Ga₅-SiO₁₄ and Sr₃Ga₂Ge₄O₁₄ doped with chromium ions (0.1 at %) are studied in the region of 300–1200 nm. It is demonstrated that these spectra contain bands typical of both a Cr³⁺ ion in an octahedral environment (position 1a) and a Cr⁴⁺ ion in a tetrahedral site (position 2d). The intensities of these bands differ considerably.

Magneto-optic properties of ultrathin ferrite-garnet (Bi2Dy1Fe4Ga1O12) films with layer thicknesses ranging from 0.6 to 100 nm are studied. The films are produced with the aid of the radio-frequency...