An integrated approach to doped thin films with strain-tunable magnetic anisotropy: powder synthesis, target preparation and pulsed laser deposition of Bi:YIG

Abstract

We present a synthesis/processing method for fabricating ferrimagnetic insulator (Bi-doped yttrium iron garnet) thin films with tunable magnetic anisotropy. Since the desired magnetic properties rely on controllable thickness and successful doping, we pay attention to the entire synthesis/processing procedure (nanopowder synthesis, nanocrystalline target preparation and pulsed laser deposition (PLD)). Atomically flat films were deposited by PLD on (111)-orientated yttrium aluminum garnet. We show a significant enhancement of perpendicular anisotropy in the films, caused by strain-induced anisotropy. In addition, the perpendicular anisotropy is tunable by decreasing the film thickness and overwhelms the shape anisotropy at a critical thickness of 3.5 nm.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

IMPACT STATEMENT

Strain-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in heavily Bi substituted YIG films for ferrimagnetic insulator based spintronic studies and devices.

KEYWORDS:

• Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA)
• ferrimagnetic insulators
• yttrium iron garnet
• nanostructured oxides
• current-activated pressure-assisted densification (CAPAD)
• spark plasma sintering (SPS)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCiD

Pathikumar Sellappan http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7819-6336

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported as part of the Spins and Heat in Nanoscale Electronic Systems (SHINES), an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences (BES) under award # SC0012670.