Magnetooptical Properties of Ce-Doped YIG Single Crystals

The Faraday rotation (FR) of cerium substituted yttrium iron gamets single crystals Y3-xCexFe5O12 (YIG:Ce) with x=0.055 has been investigated at 1152 and 632.8 nm in the 6 K - 600 K temperature range and magnetic field up to 20 kOe applied along the [111] and [100] directions. In contrast to magnetic properties, the FR of YIG:Ce is strongly different from FR of pure YIG at both wavelengths. The FR contribution of the Ce3+ ions, mainly attributed to intra-ionic electric dipole transitions between the 4f1 and 4f0 5d1 configurations, is discussed within the frame of the one-ion model of ferrimagnetic gamets