Effect of sintering atmosphere on magnetic aftereffect in polycrystalline yttrium iron garnet samples

Time effects associated with domain-wall stabilization processes are investigated at temperatures ranging from 80 to 420 K, for yttrium iron garnet polycrystalline samples sintered in different atmospheres. A very different behavior for samples sintered in high and low oxygen partial pressures is found. Above 0.1 atm the isochronal relaxation spectra show a peak around 180 K that could be associated with an electron diffusion controlled domain-wall relaxation. The activation energy for the process is close to 0.4 eV. Below this pressure, the spectra show both positive and negative peaks as a result of the competition between disaccommodation and accommodation processes. These peaks are closely temperature spaced in the neighborhood of 130 K, and the relaxation mechanism responsible for this behavior is not yet clear.