Magnetic behavior and phase diagram of epitaxial Er3Fe5O12 thin films across the compensation temperature

TL;DR

This study explores the magnetic phases and dynamics of epitaxial Er3Fe5O12 thin films, revealing complex behaviors around the compensation temperature, with implications for spintronic device applications.

Contribution

It provides detailed phase diagrams and dynamic behavior analysis of Er3Fe5O12 thin films across the compensation temperature, advancing understanding of their magnetic properties.

Findings

High-quality single-crystal growth confirmed

Compensation temperature close to 80 K identified

Complex magnetic configurations observed at room temperature

Abstract

Rare-earth iron garnet (RE3Fe5O12) films are promising insulating ferrimagnets. They can show low magnetic damping, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and ultrafast spin dynamics, which makes them ideal for spin transport applications. In this work, we investigate the interaction between the magnetic sublattices in Er3Fe5O12 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition on a Gd3Ga5O12 substrate. Structural and magnetic characterization reveals high-quality single-crystal growth, with compensation temperature close to the reported bulk value (~80 K). Magnetic phase diagrams based on element-specific measurements map out the regions where ferrimagnetic, canted, and aligned phases are stable across the compensation temperature. The micromagnetic dynamics resulting from perpendicular magnetic pulse perturbation of an in-plane magnetized layer was investigated at room temperature and reveals complex configurations. These results are a key feature for modulating magnetization dynamics through the compensation phenomenon, which is essential for spin-based devices operating in a low-temperature regime.