Magnetic garnet single-crystal film and method of producing the same, and Faraday rotator comprising the same

A method for producing a magnetic garnet single-crystal film by growing a Bi-substituted magnetic garnet single crystal in a mode of liquid-phase epitaxial growth, comprising the steps of:

• controlling a lattice constant of the growing magnetic garnet single crystal so that the lattice constant remains constant or gradually decreases with the growth of the single-crystal film for a period of time from a start of the liquid-phase epitaxial growth of the film, and then controlling the lattice constant of the growing magnetic garnet single crystal so that the lattice constant increases with the growth of the single-crystal film in a direction in which said film has grown.

A method for producing a magnetic garnet single-crystal film, said method comprising:

• growing said film on a CaMgZr-substituted GGG single-crystal substrate having a thickness of t,
• controlling said growth of said film such that a lattice constant of said film either is the same as a lattice constant of said substrate at room temperature or gradually decreases, within a period of time after said film has started to grow and before a thickness of said film is about t/2, and
• controlling said growth of said film such that said lattice constant of said film increases with an increase in said thickness of said film, in the direction in which said film has grown, after said thickness of said film is at least about t/2.

A method for producing a magnetic garnet single-crystal film by growing a Bi-substituted magnetic garnet single crystal on a substrate, said method comprising:

• controlling a lattice constant of said film to be constant or gradually decreasing while a thickness of said film is smaller than about half of a thickness of said substrate, and
• controlling said lattice constant of said film to be increasing after said thickness of said film has reached at least about half of said thickness of said substrate.