Single-crystal epitaxial europium iron garnet films with strain-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy: Structural, strain, magnetic, and spin transport properties
Journal
PHYSICAL REVIEW MATERIALS
Journal Volume
6
Journal Issue
5
Date Issued
2022
Author(s)
Guo, MX
Liu, YC
Wu, CN
Chen, WN
Chen, TY
Wu, CT
CHIH-HUNG HSU
Zhou, SQ
Chang, CF
Tjeng, LH
Lee, SF
Pai, CF
Kwo, J
Abstract
Single-crystal europium iron garnet (EuIG) thin films were epitaxially grown on gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG)(001) substrates using off-axis sputtering and showed strain-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). By varying the sputtering conditions, we have tuned the europium/iron (Eu/Fe) composition ratios in the films to tailor the film strains. The films exhibited an extremely smooth, particle-free surface with a root-mean-square roughness as low as 0.1 nm, as observed by atomic force microscopy. High-resolution x-ray diffraction analysis and reciprocal space maps showed pseudomorphic film growth, a very smooth film/substrate interface, excellent film crystallinity with a rocking curve of 0.012° (ω scans), and an in-plane compressive strain without relaxation. In addition, spherical aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy showed an atomically abrupt interface between the EuIG film and GGG. The saturation magnetization (Ms) and coercive field (Hc) were measured using a vibrating sample magnetometer. The square-shaped out-of-plane M-H loops in conjunction with angle-dependent x-ray magnetic dichroism demonstrated the PMA in the films. The spin Hall magnetoresistance on Pt/EuIG samples was measured to obtain the PMA field strength (H), which increases from 4.21 to 18.87 kOe with the increasing Eu/Fe ratio and in-plane compressive strain. We also measured spin transport in the Pt/EuIG bilayer structure and directly obtained the real part of spin mixing conductance to be 3.48×1014ω-1m-2. We demonstrated current-induced magnetization switching with a low critical switching current density of 3.5×106A/cm2, showing excellent potential for low-dissipation spintronic devices.
Publisher
AMER PHYSICAL SOC
Type
journal article