Low temperature spark plasma sintering of YIG powders

A transition from a low to a high spin state in the magnetization saturation between 1000 and 1100 °C calcination temperature is observed in YIG powders prepared by oxides mixture. Spark plasma sintering of these powders between 900 and 950 °C leads to dense samples with minimal formation of YFeO3, opening the way to co-sintering of YIG with metals or metallic alloys. The optical properties depend on the sintering stage: low (high) density samples show poor (bulk) optical absorption.