TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF RARE-EARTH ORTHOFERRITE PROPERTIES RELEVANT TO PROPAGATING DOMAIN DEVICE APPLICATIONS

The behavior of stable cylindrical domains, under variations in temperature, has been studied in a number of the rare-earth orthoferrites from the point of view of the need for temperature control when these materials are used in propagating domain devices. Fractional changes in domain diameter from —0.60 percent/°K in YFeO3 to —2.71 percent/°K in a mixed orthoferrite, Smo 33Tbo aFeO3 have been observed at 300oK. The mixed orthoferrites in which the region of reorientation of the magnetization is near room temperature provide domain diameters of 25 pm or less, making possible a high bit density. However, rapidly varying wall energy in this region leads to a substantial temperature dependence of domain size. In the YFeOs the wall energy is almost constant from 77 to 350oK. © 1969, IEEE. All rights reserved.