Structural, magnetic, and magneto-optical properties of Co-doped CeO2−δ films

Magnetically doped CeO2 is a promising dilute magnetic semiconductor and may also be useful in magneto-optical applications. Ce1−xCoxO2−δ (x=0, 0.02, 0.06, 0.15, and 0.25) films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition on MgO(100) substrates and their structural, magnetic, and magneto-optical properties were characterized. The films show a textured ceria single phase with (111) preferred orientation. All the Co-doped samples show room temperature ferromagnetism and large magnetic anisotropy with an out-of-plane easy axis. Magneto-optical measurements indicate that the Co-doped films also have high saturation Faraday rotation ranging from 230to6000deg∕cm depending on the Co concentration, and their refractive index and extinction coefficient also increase with Co concentration.