Uniaxial anisotropy in MgFe2−yAlyO4

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Abstract
Single crystals of MgFe2−yAlyO4 (y=0−0.9) grown from PbO flux exhibit stripe−serpentine domains in (100) sections indicating an induced uniaxial anisotropy similar in behavior to that existing in rare−earth garnets. The anisotropy field was found to be less than 4πMs. The magnetization was found to be a complex function of temperature and aluminum content due to the variable tetrahedral occupation of the Mg2+ ion. This latter fact is proposed to account for the uniaxial anisotropy. Other low−moment spinel single crystals were grown with no observation of stripe domains.