E. A. Gan’shina

Magnetorefractive effect in magnetic nanocomposites

The magnetorefractive effect in ferromagnetic metal-insulator granular nanostructures (CoFeZr)-SiOn, Co-Al-O, FeSiOn, and (CoFe)-(Mg-F) is investigated in the infrared spectral region in a wavelength range from 5 to 20 μm. The magnitude of the effect varies from 0.1 to 1.5% for different nanocomposites and strongly depends on the frequency of light and magnetoresistance. It is shown that the reflection coefficient changes in a magnetic field not only due to the magnetorefractive effect, but also due to the even magnetooptical effect. Simple relations describing this effect are given for the case when the reflection from the substrate is insignificant and in the case of a three-layer (insulator-film-substrate) system. The expression for the frequency dependence of the magnetorefractive effect in nanocomposites is derived and its features in the case of high-frequency spin-dependent tunneling are analyzed.

High-temperature ferromagnetism in Si1 − xMnx (x ≈ 0.5) nonstoichiometric alloys

It has been found that the Curie temperature (TC ≈ 300 K) in nonstoichiometric Si1 − xMnx alloys slightly enriched in Mn (x ≈ 0.52–0.55) in comparison to the stoichiometric manganese monosilicide MnSi becomes about an order of magnitude higher than that in MnSi (TC ∼ 30 K). Deviations from stoichiometry lead to a drastic decrease in the density of charge carries (holes), whereas their mobility at about 100 K becomes an order of magnitude higher than the value characteristic of MnSi. The high-temperature ferromagnetism is ascribed to the formation of defects with the localized magnetic moments and by their indirect exchange interaction mediated by the paramagnetic fluctuations of the hole spin density. The existence of defects with the localized magnetic moments in Si1 − xMnx alloys with x ≈ 0.52–0.55 is supported by the results of numerical calculations performed within the framework of the local-density-functional approximation. The increase in the hole mobility in the nonstoichiometric material is attributed to the decay of the Kondo (or spin-polaron) resonances presumably existing in MnSi.

Giant magnetorefractive effect in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 films

Complex experimental investigations of the structural, optical, and magneto-optical properties (magnetotransmission, magnetoreflection, and transversal Kerr effect, as well as the magnetoresistance, of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 epitaxial films indicate that magnetoreflection and magnetotransmission in manganite films can reach giant values and depend strongly on the magnetic and charge homogeneity of the films, their thickness, and spectral range under investigation. It has been shown that the optical enhancement of the magnetorefractive effect occurs in thin films as compared to manganite crystals. In the region of the minimum of the reflectance near the first phonon band, the resonance-like magnetorefractive effect has been observed, which is accompanied by change of the sign of the magnetoreflection. A model based on the theory of the magnetorefractive effect has been proposed to qualitatively explain this behavior.

Effect of isovalent doping of manganite (La1−xPrx)0.7Ca0.3MnO3 films (0≤x≤1) on their optical, magnetooptical, and transport properties near the metal-insulator transition

The optical, magnetooptical, and electric properties of epitaxial (La1−xPrx)0.7Ca0.3MnO3 films (0≤x≤1) grown by MOCVD on LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 substrates were studied. It is shown that the decrease in the average cation radius resulting from isovalent substitution of the Pr for La ions brings about a lowering of the Curie temperature, the metal-insulator transition temperature, and the temperatures of the maxima in magnetotransmission (MT) and magnetoresistance (MR). These temperatures depend only weakly on the substrate type. Substitution of La by Pr does not change the shape of the spectral response of the transverse Kerr effect. For concentrations x≤0.50, the maximum values of the Kerr effect and of the MT vary insignificantly, which should be assigned to the existence of a singly connected ferromagnetic metallic region at low temperatures. In films with x=0.75, the presence of ferromagnetic metallic drops in an antiferromagnetic insulating matrix was revealed. The totality of the experimental data obtained suggest that nanoscopic magnetic and electronic nonuniformities exist both in films with a singly connected metallic region and in an x=1 film, which is an antiferromagnetic insulator.

The evolution of magneto-transport and magneto-optical properties of thin La0.8Ag0.1MnO3+δ films possessing the in-plane variant structure as a function of the film thickness

Epitaxial La 0.8 Ag 0.1 MnO 3+δ films of different thicknesses (500-1000 nm) were grown on ZrO 2 (Y 2 O 3 ) substrates. Their optical, magneto-optical and transport properties were studied in order to clarify the effect of the epitaxial variant structure and Ag ion distribution on the conductivity, magnetoresistance and infrared magnetotransmission in these films. An original method was developed for separating MR contributions related to the colossal magnetoresistance near T C and the tunnelling magnetoresistance. It was established that in the La 0.8 Ag 0.1 MnO 3+δ films spin-polarization of electrons P reached ∼0.5. The transverse Kerr effect revealed the irregular distribution of Ag ions through the film thickness. The comparison of optical and electrical data implies lower silver content near the film-substrate boundary in relation to that in the domain volume.

IR radiation modulator based on the effect of magnetotransmission in lanthanum manganite operating near room temperature

A prototype of the IR radiation modulator operating at T=303 K, using the giant magnetotransmission effect in a La0.82Na0.18MnO3+δ lanthanum manganite film, has been constructed and the optical characteristics of the setup have been measured. In a wavelength range from 1.4 to 11 μm, the IR modulation depth varies from 3.5 to 6.5%. The possibilities of increasing the modulation depth are considered.

Magnetorefractive Effect in Granular Alloys with Tunneling Magnetoresistance

The magnetorefractive effect and optical reflectivity are studied in granular Co-Al-O, Co-Si-O, and Co-Ti-O metal-insulator alloys exhibiting tunneling magnetoresistance for compositions close to the percolation threshold. The dependences of these effects on frequency, angle of incidence, and light polarization were measured. The experimental data obtained suggest that the major MRE mechanism in these systems is spin-dependent tunneling at optical frequencies.

Magnetorefractive effect in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 in the infrared spectral range

The reflection and magnetic reflection spectra, magnetic resistance, electrical properties, and equatorial Kerr effect in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 crystals have been complexly investigated. The measurements have been performed in wide temperature and spectral ranges in magnetic fields up to 3.5 kOe. It has been found that magnetic reflection is a high-frequency response in the infrared spectral range to the colossal magnetore-sistance near the Curie temperature. Correlation between the field and temperature dependences of the magnetic reflection and colossal magnetoresistance has been revealed. The previously developed theory of the magnetorefractive effect for metallic systems makes it possible to explain the experimental data at the qualitative level. Both demerits of the theory of the magnetorefractive effect in application to the magnets and possible additional mechanisms responsible for the magnetic reflection are discussed.

Magnetorefractive effect in manganites with a colossal magnetoresistance in the visible spectral region

The magnetotransmission, magnetoreflection, and magnetoresistance of the La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 and La0.9Ag0.1MnO3 epitaxial films have been investigated. It has been found that the films exhibit a significant magnetorefractive effect in the case of reflection and transmission of light in the fundamental absorption region both in the vicinity of the Curie temperature and at low temperatures. It has been shown that the magnetorefractive effect in the infrared spectral region of the manganites is determined by a high-frequency response to magnetoresistance, whereas the magnetorefractive effect in the visible spectral region of these materials is associated with a change in the electronic structure in response to a magnetic field, which, in turn, leads to a change in the electron density of states, the probability of interband optical transitions, and the shift of light absorption bands. The obtained values of the magnetotransmittance and magnetoreflectance in the visible spectral region are less than those observed in the infrared region of the spectrum, but they are several times greater than the linear magneto-optical effects. As a result, the magnetorefractive effect, which is a nongyrotropic phenomenon, makes it possible to avoid the use of light analyzers and polarizers in optical circuits.

Magnetorefractive Effect in Nanostructures, Manganites, and Magnetophotonic Crystals Based on These Materials

Studies of the magnetorefractive effect (MRE) in multilayers, granulated films, nanocomposites, and manganites are briefly reviewed. A simple algorithm for calculation of the MRE is proposed. The possibility to enhance the MRE by means of multipath interference in 1D magnetophotonic crystals containing a nanocomposite or manganite film as a defect is theoretically analyzed. It is shown that, in magnetophotonic crystals, the MRE may reach 50–60% in the presence of reflection. These values are three orders of magnitude larger than those observed for common magnetooptic phenomena, such as the equatorial Kerr effect, and two orders of magnitude larger than the MRE in one-layer structures.