Near theoretical microwave loss in hot isostatic pressed (hipped) polycrystalline yttrium iron garnet

Abstract

The ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) linewidth, the field dependent effective linewidth, and the parallel pump spin wave linewidth were measured for spheres and disks prepared from a block of hot isostatic pressed (hipped) polycrystalline yttrium iron garnet (YIG). All linewidths as well as static magnetization data indicate close to 100% density. Vibrating sample magnetometer measurements give an average saturation induction 4πMs of 1825 G. The FMR half-power linewidths for the spheres at 9.5 GHz were 13 Oe. Linewidths measured over the 9.5–18 GHz frequency range show a small but distinct drop and agree with Schlömann’s theory of anisotropy-dominated two-magnon scattering for polycrystalline ferrites. The effective linewidth versus field data at 10 GHz show a region of strong absorption that corresponds to the width of the spin wave manifold for low wave numbers and a high field value of about 2 Oe. Parallel pumping measurements give minimum spin wave linewidths of 1.2 and 0.6 Oe at 9 and 16.7 GHz, respectively. The 16.7 GHz spin wave linewidths correspond to half-frequency spin waves at 8.35 GHz. The extrapolated linewidths at zero wave number are about 0.5 Oe and match the established intrinsic linewidths expected for YIG single crystals at 8–9 GHz. The spin wave linewidths increase linearly with wave number and are consistent with a transit time scattering process with scattering lengths that are about ten times greater than the average grain size.