Faraday effect in yttrium and dysprosium orthoferrites

Abstract

The Faraday effect in YFeO <inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</inf> and DyFeO <inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</inf> was investigated in the wavelength region from 0.6 to 1.8 μ. A gas laser operating at 0.63, 1.15, and 3.39 μ was used. The Faraday rotation in yttrium and dysprosium orthoferrites at the wavelength 0.63 μ is equal to - 3000°/cm and - 4000°/cm, respectively. These values accord with figures calculated from the measurements when light is propagated along the <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">c</tex> axis. The sign of the rotation is opposite to that in YIG. Optical axes lie in the <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">a</tex> plane. The angle between the optical axis of YFeO <inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</inf> and the <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">c</tex> axis equals 52° and 46° at the wavelengths 0.63 and 3.39 μ, respectively. The absorption coefficient of the samples used was 200 cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-1</sup> at <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">\lambda = 0.63 \mu</tex> .