Optical and magneto-optical studies of a multiferroic GaFeO3 with a high Curie temperature

Single crystals of a noncentrosymmetric orthorhombic pyroelectric ferrimagnet Ga_2−x Fe_xO₃ with a Curie temperature within 260–345 K have been grown by the flux method. It has been found that the electrical properties of the single crystals varied over a broad range from 10⁵ to 10¹³ Ω cm depending on the presence of transitionmetal oxide impurities. The dispersion relations for all three principal dielectric functions of orthorhombic GaFeO₃ have been determined in the range 0.7–5.4 eV by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The spectra of the dielectric functions of the orthorhombic Ga_2−x Fe_xO₃ crystals are compared with the spectra of the trigonal crystals. The Faraday effect and second-harmonic generation are studied, and the law of the transition to the paramagnetic state has been determined. The crystallographic and magnetic contributions to the second-harmonic generation are analyzed.