Correlation between structural and magnetic properties of epitaxial YIG films by pulsed laser deposition

TL;DR

This paper explores how growth conditions affect the microstructure and magnetic properties of epitaxial YIG films, revealing correlations that enable rapid quality assessment and achieving ultralow magnetic damping for spintronics.

Contribution

It provides a systematic study linking deposition parameters, microstructure, and magnetic properties, and demonstrates optimized conditions for high-quality YIG films with ultralow damping.

Findings

Correlation between residual strain and magnetic properties.

Optimized deposition conditions yield ultralow magnetic damping.

Rapid assessment method for YIG film quality.

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the relationships between film growth conditions, crystalline microstructure, and magnetic properties of epitaxial Yttrium Iron Garnet (Y$_3$Fe$_5$O$_{12}$, YIG) thin films, deposited on Gallium Gadolinium Garnet (Ga$_3$Gd$_5$O$_{12}$, GGG). A direct correlation was observed between the residual epitaxial strain, bulk magnetic properties like saturation magnetization and magnetic damping), and the performance of spin-wave transmission devices based on these films. This correlation offers a pathway for a simplified, rapid assessment of YIG film quality, avoiding the need for complex time-consuming characterization techniques. In addition, we report a comprehensive investigation into the influence of pulsed-laser deposition parameters, including deposition temperature, pressure, laser fluence, frequency, and annealing conditions. Through systematic deposition optimization, state-of-the-art YIG films exhibiting ultralow magnetic damping could be obtained, which is critical for high-performance spintronic applications.