Domain structure and magnetic properties of terbium ferrite-garnet in the vicinity of the magnetic compensation point

Abstract

The domain structure of a thin single crystal plate of the iron garnet Tb3Fe5O12 has been investigated using the magneto-optical method in the temperature range near the magnetic compensation point of this ferrimagnet Tc = 248.6 K. It has been shown that, when the temperature of the sample approaches the magnetic compensation point, the domain width significantly increases, but remains finite at T = Tc. The magnetic H–T phase diagram determines the boundary between the multi domain and domain free (uniformly magnetized) states of the sample. Here the magnetic H–T phase diagram has been constructed using the data on visual observations of the transformation of the domain structure with variations in the temperature and external magnetic field.