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Yttrium iron garnet (YIG) is a kind of synthetic garnet, with chemical composition Y3Fe2(FeO4)3, or Y3Fe5O12. It is a ferrimagnetic material with a Curie temperature of 560 K. YIG may also be known as yttrium ferrite garnet, or as iron yttrium oxide or yttrium iron oxide, the latter two names usually associated with powdered forms.
Production
Several methods are utilized for synthesis of yttrium iron garnet each with their pros and cons. The solid-state reaction method is a traditional approach for YIG synthesis, involving the high-temperature firing of a mixture of yttrium and iron oxides. This cost-effective technique can produce pure YIG crystals but requires careful control of temperature and atmosphere to prevent impurities.
Liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) is another key method, especially for creating thin YIG films with excellent uniformity. Ideal for optical and microwave devices, LPE enables precise film growth on substrates. However, its high equipment costs and complex procedures limit its use to applications where superior quality is essential.
Properties
In YIG, the five iron(III) ions occupy two octahedral and three tetrahedral sites, with the yttrium(III) ions coordinated by eight oxygen ions in an irregular cube. The iron ions in the two coordination sites exhibit different spins, resulting in magnetic behavior. By substituting specific sites with rare-earth elements, for example, interesting magnetic properties can be obtained.
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Ali, Wan; Othman, Mohammadarif (2013). "Studies on the formation of yttrium iron garnet (YIG) through stoichiometry modification prepared by conventional solid-state method". Journal of the European Ceramic Society. 33 (7): 1317–1324. doi:10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2012.12.016.
Chae, Keun; Nandy, Subhajit (2023). "17 - Chemical synthesis of ferrite thin films". Ferrite Nanostructured Magnetic Materials. Woodhead Publishing. pp. 309–334. ISBN9780128237175.
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Holm, U., Sohlstrom, H., & Brogardh, T. (1984). "YIG-Sensor Design for Fiber Optical Magnetic-Field Measurements". Proceedings of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, 514, 333–336.
Solid-state lasers