Nd0.5Bi2.5Fe4GaO12 (Bi2.5:NIGG) thin films with thicknesses of d = 200–1200 nm are prepared on Nd2BiFe4GaO12 (Bi1:NIGG) buffer layers on glass substrates using metal-organic decomposition. The shapes of the Faraday rotation spectra and hysteresis did not change with an increasing film thickness. The Faraday rotation angles increased in proportion with the film thickness, indicating that Bi2.5:NIGG grew without any deterioration for thicknesses up to 1200 nm.

Highly Bi-substituted neodymium iron gallium garnet thin films with a Bi content of 2.5, Nd0.5Bi2.5Fe5− y Ga y O12 (NBIGG) with y = 0–1, on gadolinium gallium garnet (111) and (100) substrates have been prepared by metal–organic decomposition. Magnetic properties and magnetic anisotropy energies were measured using an alternating field gradient magnetometer and by magnetic torque measurement, respectively. Faraday rotation spectra and hysteresis loops were measured using a Faraday rotation spectrometer. The magnetization of NBIGG thin films exhibiting a large Faraday rotation of 10–15°/µm decreased with increasing Ga content, resulting in increased effective magnetic anisotropy energy K eff. The dependence of the magnetic anisotropies on the Ga content is discussed in terms of the reverse magnetostrictive effect caused by thermal stress as well as the magnetocrystalline and shape anisotropies.

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We propose a magneto-optical (MO) color imaging technique that enables magnetic field distributions to be quantitatively observed in real-time. Values of magnetic fields are displayed as colors. MO imaging plates have been developed using highly bismuth-substituted neodymium iron garnet films, for use in MO color imaging. The films were prepared by the metal-organic decomposition method. The MO imaging plates were characterized using the MO figure of merit for MO imaging plates, which is defined in this study. The magnetic fields were expressed by colors, using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as light sources. The colors varied from blue to yellow, from green to yellow, and from blue to red, for sources corresponding to a white LED, combined green and yellow LEDs, and combined blue and yellow LEDs, respectively. The MO color imaging of spherical magnets is demonstrated.Key words: magneto-optical imaging, bismuth substituted neodymium iron garnet, magneto-optical effect, metal organic decomposition, magneto-optical imaging plate, magneto-optical figure of merit

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