MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF (111) LI0.5FE2.5O4 FILMS

Films of Li0.5Fe2.5O4 1 mu m thick were deposited in 0.1 mbar of oxygen on heated (0001) Al2O3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Scanning electron micrographs showed a film surface with sub-micron scale roughness and free from particulate contamination. X-ray diffraction revealed (111) epitaxial Film growth of the lithium ferrite phase and magnetisation measurements showed an in-plane saturation magnetisation sigma(s) of 57 J/T/kg, a coercivity mu(0)H(c) of 55 mT, and a squareness factor S of 0.58. Faraday rotation was about 0.2 degrees/mu m across the visible spectrum range to 0.5 degrees/mu m near the absorption edge at 2.4 eV.