Magneto-optic development for laser beam steering

Strain-free bismuth-substituted rare earth iron garnet crystals grown by liquid phase epitaxy on gadolinium gallium garnet where sodium oxide or lead oxide was added to the bismuth oxide solvent melt. The characterization of the crystals shows that they are well suited for laser beam steering especially at 1.06 micron wavelength. The cause of beam divergence which limits the number of resolvable spots in the crystals grown was identified. The Faraday rotation of the crack-free crystals is as large as expected; the largest measured 6328 A, specific rotation was over 25,000 deg/cm. The magnetic properties of the bismuth garnet crystals are ideal for stripe domain formation. The high magnetization 1000 to 1800 gauss, and the low normal anisotropy, approximately 650 to 100 Oc are well suited to low drive power steering devices.