Broadband Ferromagnetic Resonance Research Articles

Temperature dependent interfacial-coupling and magnetization reversal of La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 film with inverted hysteresis features

Temperature-dependent magnetic anisotropy and interfacial coupling of La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (LSMO) epitaxial films with inverted hysteresis (IHLs) features are investigated using a broadband ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectrometer. Through the dispersion relation obtained along [100], [110] and [010] axes, a simplified method is proposed to investigation in-plane magnetic anisotropy by broadband FMR in a cryostat. According to this method, the perpendicular uniaxial anisotropy, magneto-crystalline anisotropy, and interfacial coupling between the LSMO film and hard-magnetic interface layer are investigated as a whole. The measured value of interfacial coupling is −17.6 Oe at 300 K, close to the bias field found in minor loop, i.e., −18.4 Oe. The interfacial coupling is enhanced with the dropping of temperatures, and the value of interfacial coupling changed to −112 Oe at 10 K. A Stoner-Wohlfarth-like model is employed to calculate the hysteresis loops of the films based on the measured values of in-plane magnetic anisotropy and interfacial-coupling. The calculation reveals the mechanism of magnetization reversal and the origin of IHLs found in LSMO films.

FeCuNbSiB thin films with sub-Oersted coercivity

We investigated the microstructural and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline FeCuNbSiB thin films produced through magnetron sputtering followed by heat treatment. Our research focused on film thicknesses (80 nm and 160 nm) and heat treatment temperatures (490 °C–520 °C) that resulted in samples characterized by low coercivity and high effective magnetization. Conducting a comprehensive microstructural examination, we employed X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy techniques, including selected area electron diffraction, high-resolution imaging and Fourier transform analysis. Magnetic properties were investigated using an alternating gradient field magnetometer and broadband ferromagnetic resonance. Structural analysis revealed, for all our heat-treated films, a well-defined microstructure characterized by nanograins, with a Fe3Si ferromagnetic phase, embedded within an amorphous matrix. Our films exhibit sub-Oe coercivity, reaching as low as 0.51 Oe, along with an increase in effective magnetization from 1170 emu/cm3 for the amorphous phase to a maximum of 1260 emu/cm3 in the nanocrystalline phase.

Temperature Evolution of Magnon Propagation Length in Tm3Fe5O12 Thin Films: Roles of Magnetic Anisotropy and Gilbert Damping.

The magnon propagation length, ⟨ξ⟩, of a ferro-/ferrimagnet (FM) is one of the key factors that controls the generation and propagation of thermally driven magnonic spin current in FM/heavy metal (HM) bilayer based spincaloritronic devices. For the development of a complete physical picture of thermally driven magnon transport in FM/HM bilayers over a wide temperature range, it is of utmost importance to understand the respective roles of temperature-dependent Gilbert damping (α) and effective magnetic anisotropy (Keff) in controlling the temperature evolution of ⟨ξ⟩. Here, we report a comprehensive investigation of the temperature-dependent longitudinal spin Seebeck effect (LSSE), radio frequency transverse susceptibility, and broad-band ferromagnetic resonance measurements on Tm3Fe5O12 (TmIG)/Pt bilayers grown on different substrates. We observe a significant drop in the LSSE voltage below 200 K independent of TmIG film thickness and substrate choice. This is attributed to the noticeable increases in effective magnetic anisotropy field, HKeff (∝Keff) and α that occur within the same temperature range. From the TmIG thickness dependence of the LSSE voltage, we determined the temperature dependence of ⟨ξ⟩ and highlighted its correlation with the temperature-dependent HKeff and α in TmIG/Pt bilayers, which will be beneficial for the development of rare-earth iron garnet based efficient spincaloritronic nanodevices.

Fourfold anisotropic magnetic damping induced by anisotropic spin absorption in amorphous CoFeB/epitaxial IrMn3 bilayers

Magnetic damping rooted in various relaxation processes of spin angular momentum plays a crucial role in determining the energy consumption and the operating speed of emerging spintronic devices. Here, we reported a fourfold anisotropic magnetic damping extrinsically caused by spin current absorption in amorphous ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic bilayers. The angular dependent broadband ferromagnetic resonance measurements were employed to investigate the effect of interfacial exchange coupling on magnetization dynamics of the CoFeB/IrMn3 bilayers. In addition to the conventional exchange bias, the amorphous CoFeB layer exhibits an induced fourfold magnetic anisotropy along the IrMn3⟨100⟩ axes because of the exchange coupling with the uncompensated IrMn3 moments along IrMn3⟨100⟩ caused by the 3Q antiferromagnetic structure. The magnetic damping of the CoFeB/IrMn3 bilayer also exhibits an obvious fourfold symmetry, which is ascribed to the anisotropic spin absorption caused by the uncompensated IrMn3 moments. The ratio of the fourfold anisotropic magnetic damping decreases dramatically with reducing the interfacial exchange coupling. When the interfacial exchange coupling is isolated by a Cu spacer layer, both the induced magnetic anisotropy and the magnetic damping exhibit a uniaxial symmetry.

Exchange stiffness proportional to power of magnetization in permalloy co-doped with Mo and Cu

The exchange stiffness of magnetic materials is one of the essential parameters governing magnetic texture and its dynamics in magnetic devices. The effect of single-element doping on exchange stiffness has been investigated for several doping elements for permalloy (NiFe alloy), a soft magnetic material whose soft magnetic properties can be controlled by doping. However, the impact of more practical multi-element doping on the exchange stiffness of permalloy is unknown. This study investigates the typical magnetic properties, including exchange stiffness, of permalloy systematically co-doped with Mo and Cu using broadband ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy. We find that the exchange stiffness, which decreases with increasing doping levels, is proportional to a power of magnetization, which also decreases with increasing doping levels. The magnetization, Ms, dependence of the exchange stiffness constant, A, of all the investigated samples, irrespective of the doping levels of each element, lies on a single curve expressed as A ∝ Msn with exponent n close to 2. This empirical power-law relationship provides a guideline for predicting unknown exchange stiffness in non-magnetic element-doped permalloy systems.

Aluminum substitution in low damping epitaxial lithium ferrite films

Ferromagnetic insulators with ultra-low damping and tunable magnetic properties are of great interest for the study of spin wave-based phenomena as well as for applications in spin wave spintronics. We have developed epitaxial spinel structure ferrite thin films of Li0.5(AlxFe2.5−x)O4 (LAFO) with ultra-low magnetic damping. The degree of Al substitution tunes the saturation magnetization and in-plane magnetic anisotropy while maintaining excellent epitaxy and crystalline quality as well as low magnetic damping. All LAFO films, deposited on (001)-oriented MgAl2O4 (MAO), are under epitaxial compressive strain, giving rise to an easy magnetic axis in-plane and a hard out-of-plane axis. Element-specific x-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements confirm that the magnetism originates from the majority of Fe3+ cations occupying the octahedral sites, which are displaced by increased Al3+ substitution. Broadband ferromagnetic resonance reveals the lowest Gilbert damping parameters of 5×10−4 for films 10–15 nm thick. Our films demonstrate the robustness of the low loss dynamic properties of Li0.5(AlxFe2.5−x)O4 that are promising for spin wave applications.

Spin Pumping in Moderately Perpendicular W/CoFeB/HfOx Thin Films

Large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and spin-orbit torques are two essential requirements for high-density and energy-efficient spintronic devices. Recent advances in magneto-electric and magneto-ionic control of PMA and spin-orbit torques have opened a pathway to explore different oxide materials with large dielectric constant and high ion mobility. Motivated by interesting memristive properties of HfOx, here, using broadband ferromagnetic resonance measurements, we study the spin pumping in-plane to perpendicularly magnetized W(5[Formula: see text]nm)/CoFeB(tCFB) system capped with 4[Formula: see text]nm HfOx thin films. We find a large spin pumping and significant PMA strength for HfOx-based thin films. Using ferromagnetic thickness dependence, we also calculate the spin mixing conductance in the trilayer system which is found to be similar to MgO-based thin film stacks. These results will be highly useful for various spintronic applications with electro-static, ionic and memristive gating.

Effect of thermal annealing on the magnetization reversal and spin dynamics in ferrimagnetic TbCo thin films

“Ferrimagnetic rare earth-transition metal alloys are promising materials for high-speed and low-power spintronic device applications due to their wide tunability in magnetic properties as a function of temperature and composition. Here, we report the influence of thermal annealing on the magnetization reversal and spin dynamics of ferrimagnetic Tb10Co90 thin films. We have used the co-sputtering technique for the deposition of two different thicknesses (20 nm and 25 nm) of the TbCo films. Annealing of the samples has been carried out in the vacuum at 350 °C for 1 h. The magnetization reversal and dynamic properties of the as-deposited and annealed films are studied using the magneto-optical Kerr effect and broadband ferromagnetic resonance measurements at room temperature, respectively. The hysteresis loops reveal an anisotropic reversal process. The anisotropy field reduces from 66 Oe to 38 Oe for 20-nm-thick films and 98 Oe to 31 Oe for 25-nm-thick films upon annealing. Consequently, thermal annealing has led to a large reduction (∼70 %) in inhomogeneous linewidth broadening of the ferromagnetic resonance modes. Gilbert damping constant is found to decrease from 0.027 to 0.021 for 20-nm-thick films, whereas it decreases from 0.043 to 0.019 for 25-nm-thick films. The results have been attributed to the enhanced crystallinity of the films as observed in the structural analysis using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction.”

Coupling of Ferromagnetic and Antiferromagnetic Spin Dynamics in Mn_{2}Au/NiFe Thin Film Bilayers.

We investigate magnetization dynamics of Mn_{2}Au/Py (Ni_{80}Fe_{20}) thin film bilayers using broadband ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy. Our bilayers exhibit two resonant modes with zero-field frequencies up to almost 40GHz, far above the single-layer Py FMR. Our model calculations attribute these modes to the coupling of the Py FMR and the two antiferromagnetic resonance (AFMR) modes of Mn_{2}Au. The coupling strength is in the order of 1.6T nm at room temperature for nm-thick Py. Our model reveals the dependence of the hybrid modes on the AFMR frequencies and interfacial coupling as well as the evanescent character of the spin waves that extend across the Mn_{2}Au/Py interface.

Chemical Approach Towards Broadband Spintronics on Nanoscale Pyrene Films

AbstractThe injection of pure spin current into the non‐magnetic layer plays a crucial role in transmitting, processing, and storing data information in the realm of spintronics. To understand broadband molecular spintronics, pyrene oligomer film (≈20 nm thickness) was prepared using an electrochemical method forming indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode/pyrene covalent interfaces. Permalloy (Ni80Fe20) films with different nanoscale thicknesses were used as top contact over ITO/pyrene layers to estimate the spin pumping efficiency across the interfaces using broadband ferromagnetic resonance spectra. The spintronic devices are composed of permalloy/pyrene/ITO orthogonal configuration, showing remarkable spin pumping from permalloy to pyrene film. The large spin pumping is evident from the linewidth broadening of 5.4 mT at 9 GHz, which is direct proof of spin angular momentum transfer across the interface. A striking observation is made with the high spin‐mixing conductance of ≈1.02×1018 m−2, a value comparable to the conventional heavy metals. Large spin angular moment transfer was observed at the permalloy‐pyrene interfaces, especially at the lower thickness of permalloy, indicating a strong spinterface effect. Pure spin current injection from ferromagnetic into electrochemically grown pyrene films ensures efficient broadband spin transport, which opens a new area in molecular broadband spintronics.

Chemical Approach Towards Broadband Spintronics on Nanoscale Pyrene Films.

The injection of pure spin current into the non-magnetic layer plays a crucial role in transmitting, processing, and storing data information in the realm of spintronics. To understand broadband molecular spintronics, pyrene oligomer film (~20 nm thickness) was prepared using an electrochemical method forming indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode/pyrene covalent interfaces. Permalloy (Ni80Fe20) films with different nanoscale thicknesses were used as top contact over ITO/pyrene layers to estimate the spin pumping efficiency across the interfaces using broadband ferromagnetic resonance spectra. The spintronic devices are composed of permalloy/pyrene/ITO orthogonal configuration, showing remarkable spin pumping from permalloy to pyrene film. The large spin pumping is evident from the linewidth broadening of 5.4 mT at 9 GHz, which is direct proof of spin angular momentum transfer across the interface. A striking observation is made with the high spin-mixing conductance of ~1.02 1018 m-2, a value comparable to the conventional heavy metals. Large spin angular moment transfer was observed at the permalloy-pyrene interfaces, especially at the lower thickness of permalloy, indicating a strong spinterface effect. Pure spin current injection from ferromagnetic into electrochemically grown pyrene films ensures efficient broadband spin transport, which opens a new area in molecular broadband spintronics.

Reduce the magnetic damping of Pt/ferromagnet heterostructures by inserting a Hf spacer layer

We investigated the effect of the Hf spacer layer on the magnetic damping of Pt/ferromagnet (FM) heterostructures by using broadband ferromagnetic resonance. The magnetic damping of Pt/Co is reduced greatly and then enhanced slightly as the thickness of the Hf spacer layer increases, which is ascribed to the competition of the magnetic proximity effect, the anti-damping behavior, and the spin-pumping effect occurring at the interface. The 3-nm-thick Hf spacer layer results in a maximum reduction rate as high as 48.8% for the magnetic damping of the Pt/Co samples. The reduction of magnetic damping by the Hf spacer layer was additionally demonstrated in the heterostructures of Pt/NiFe and Pt/CoFeB, which suggests the universal tuning effect of the Hf spacer layer on the magnetic damping of Pt/FM systems.

Full Heusler Fe2CrAl nanogranular films produced by pulsed laser deposition for magnonic applications

Obtaining Heusler alloys at the nanoscale with good crystallographic features is appealing for a large range of technological applications, from biomedical to spintronics devices. In particular, Fe2CrAl as bulk is known to present magnetic properties that are strongly sensitive to chemical and physical constraints, such as structural disorder and chemical composition. We report a throughout structural, morphological, and magnetic characterization of Fe2CrAl Heusler nanoparticles obtained by pulsed laser deposition technique. The nanoparticles are composed of slightly off-stoichiometric grains with two distinct morphologies where the role of chemical disorder and inhomogeneity on the magnetic behavior was evaluated. Through DC magnetization measurements, a superparamagnetic behavior is observed and a Gilbert damping of 9×10−3 is acquired from broadband ferromagnetic resonance data, which is comparable with standard materials used for magnonics applications. We discuss the complex magnetostructural coupling that rises on the nanoparticle system, comparing these results with the stoichiometric Fe2CrAl bulk target behavior.

Spin pumping into a partially compensated antiferromagnetic/paramagnetic insulator

Spin pumping from a metallic ferromagnet (FM) into an insulating antiferromagnet has been studied across the magnetic phase transition by means of temperature-dependent, broad-band ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) experiments. A set of spin pumping heterostructures consisting of Permalloy (Ni80Fe20) as FM and ZnCo x O with and 0.6 (Co:ZnO) as partially compensated antiferromagnetic insulator has been used for which previous experiments have already pointed out the possibility of the existence of spin-pumping. The present experiments allow to reliably separate the various contributions of the temperature-dependent Gilbert damping parameter to the FMR line-width. A careful analysis of the obtained data demonstrates a significant increase of the temperature-dependence of the Gilbert damping parameter around the magnetic phase transition of Co:ZnO which extends up to room temperature, confirming spin pumping into the fluctuating spin sink of an antiferromagnetic/paramagnetic insulator.

Broadband ferromagnetic resonance of ultrathin yttrium iron garnet films by pulsed laser deposition: Effects of deposition parameters

In this study, we investigate the growth and characteristics of ultrathin ferrimagnetic yttrium iron garnet (YIG, Y3Fe5O12) films on a Gallium Gadolinium Garnet (GGG) substrate using the pulsed laser deposition technique (PLD). We aim to improve the magnetic quality of the films by varying the deposition parameters, specifically the laser energy and oxygen pressure. We conduct broadband ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements to characterize the magnetic properties and Gilbert damping of the films. Our findings demonstrate that adjusting the deposition parameters systematically controls the saturation magnetization and Gilbert damping of YIG films. Our measurements show that in the absence of oxygen, the films exhibit higher-than-expected values of magnetization and Gilbert damping, suggesting that the films have a higher Fe concentration. Conversely, when introducing oxygen in the chamber, we observe a decrease in the magnetization and damping values, approaching those of bulk YIG films. Notably, we achieve a saturation magnetization of 0.185 T and an ultra-low Gilbert damping of 1.7 ×10−4 for films deposited under conditions of high laser energy and oxygen pressure. This is mainly due to a better Y:Fe ratio approaching the stoichiometric value of 0.6 as the oxygen pressure increased. Our findings provide valuable insights for preparing high-quality ferrimagnetic films suitable for various magnonics applications and spin Hall devices.

Resonant dynamics of three-dimensional skyrmionic textures in thin film multilayers

Skyrmions are topological magnetic solitons that exhibit a rich variety of dynamics, such as breathing and gyration, which can involve collective behavior in arrangements like skyrmion lattices. However, such localized excitations typically lie in the gap of the spin wave spectrum and do not couple to propagating modes. By combining magnetic force microscopy, broadband ferromagnetic resonance, and micromagnetics simulations, we show that in thin-film multilayers of [Pt/FeCoB/AlOx]20 a high-frequency (>12 GHz) mode accompanies the skyrmion lattice phase, which involves the coherent precession of the skyrmion cores that results in the generation of 50–80 nm wavelength spin waves flowing into the uniformly magnetized background. This observation is made possible by a Gilbert damping constant of ∼0.02, which is nearly an order of magnitude lower than in similar ultrathin materials. The simulations also reveal a complex three-dimensional spin structure of the skyrmion cores, which plays a key role for spin wave generation.

Negligible magnetic losses at low temperatures in liquid phase epitaxy grown Y3Fe5O12 films

Yttrium iron garnet (${\mathrm{Y}}_{3}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}$; YIG) has a unique combination of low magnetic damping, high spin-wave conductivity, and insulating properties that make it a highly attractive material for a variety of applications in the fields of magnetics and spintronics. While the room-temperature magnetization dynamics of YIG have been extensively studied, there are limited reports correlating the low-temperature magnetization dynamics to the material structure or growth method. Here we investigate liquid phase epitaxy grown YIG films and their magnetization dynamics at temperatures down to 10 K. We show there is a negligible increase in the ferromagnetic resonance linewidth down to 10 K, which is unique when compared with YIG films grown by other deposition methods. From the broadband ferromagnetic resonance measurements, polarized neutron reflectivity, and scanning transmission electron microscopy, we conclude that these liquid phase epitaxy grown films have negligible rare-earth impurities present, specifically the suppression of Gd diffusion from the ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{3}{\mathrm{Ga}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ (GGG) substrate into the ${\mathrm{Y}}_{3}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ film, and therefore negligible magnetic losses attributed to the slow-relaxation mechanism. Overall, liquid phase epitaxy YIG films have a YIG/GGG interface that is five times sharper and have ten times lower ferromagnetic resonance linewidths below 50 K than comparable YIG films by other deposition methods. Thus, liquid phase epitaxy grown YIG films are ideal for low-temperature experiments/applications that require low magnetic losses, such as quantum transduction and manipulation via magnon coupling.

Magnetization Dynamics in Proximity-Coupled Superconductor-Ferromagnet-Superconductor Multilayers. II. Thickness Dependence of the Superconducting Torque

In this work, we study magnetization dynamics in superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor thin-film structures. Results of the broad-band ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy are reported for a large set of samples with varied thickness of both superconducting and ferromagnetic layers in a wide frequency, field, and temperature ranges. Experimentally the one-dimensional anisotropic action of superconducting torque on magnetization dynamics is established; its dependence on thickness of layers is revealed. It is demonstrated that experimental findings support the recently-proposed mechanism of the superconducting torque formation via the interplay between the superconducting kinetic inductance and magnetization precession at superconductor-ferromagnet interfaces.

Out-of-plane Ferromagnetic Resonance and Surface Spin Wave Modes in Ni80Fe20 Film on Ripple-Patterned Sapphire Substrate

The study of surface magnetic anisotropy of magnetic films is beneficial to understanding the behaviors of films at high frequencies and further promoting their high-frequency magnetic applications. We investigated the out-of-plane ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and surface spin wave modes in 40-nm Ni80Fe20 (NiFe) films deposited on ripple-patterned sapphire substrate with periodicity and a flat sapphire substrate by broad-band FMR technique. When measuring the FMR of the film on ripple-patterned substrate, the in-plane angle (\U0001d711 H of the external applied magnetic field was along the direction of the ripples (\U0001d711 H = 90°) and perpendicular to the ripple direction (\U0001d711 H = 0°) respectively. The spin-wave resonance spectra consisting of up to two surface spin wave (SSW) modes were observed as the external magnetic field polar angle θH varied from “in-plane configuration” (θH = 90° ) to “out-of-plane configuration” (θH = 0°). As the decrease of θH , the two surface spin excitations disappeared in sequence and further only FMR mode was observed in the region θH which was smaller than the “critical angle” θc . The θc of \U0001d711 H = 90° is found to be different from that for \U0001d711 H = 0°. The dependences of field shift vs. out-of-plane angles θH for each SSW mode were analyzed by the surface inhomogeneity model. From the model, the surface anisotropy constants Ks of films were obtained. The results show that the values of surface anisotropy constants for the two SSW modes are different. Compared with the film sputtered on flat sapphire substrate, after introducing ripple-patterned substrate, the variation of Ks is only on the order of 0.01 erg/cm2 for the film of this thickness.

Antiferromagnetic FeTe2 1T−phase formation at the Sb2Te3/Ni80Fe20 interface

Bilayer topological insulator/ferromagnet (TI/FM) heterostructures are promising for spintronic applications due to their low switching energy and therefore power efficiency. Until recently, the reactivity of TIs with FM films was overlooked in the spin-orbit-torque literature, even though there are reports that it is energetically favorable for TIs to react with transition metals and form interfacial layers. In this study, we fabricated a TI/FM heterostructure comprised of molecular beam epitaxy grown ${\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{3}$ and dc sputtered ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{80}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{20}$. Broadband ferromagnetic resonance revealed spin-pumping evident by the significant enhancement in Gilbert damping, which is likely a signature of the topological surface states or the presence of large spin-orbit coupling in the adjacent ${\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{3}$. With low-temperature magnetometry, an exchange bias is observed that indicates an exchange interaction between an antiferromagnet (AFM) and an adjacent FM. Cross-section high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy characterization of the ${\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{3}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{i}}_{80}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{20}$ bilayer revealed a complex interface showing diffusion of Fe and Ni into the ${\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{3}$ film yielding the formation of a $\mathrm{Fe}{\mathrm{Te}}_{2} 1T\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{type}$ structural phase. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations revealed that the $\mathrm{Fe}{\mathrm{Te}}_{2} 1T\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{phase}$ has an AFM ground state. Due to experimental limitations in the electron-energy-loss spectroscopy measurements, the precise chemistry of the interfacial phase could not be determined, therefore it is possible that the $\mathrm{Fe}{\mathrm{Te}}_{2} 1T$ and/or an intermixed $({\mathrm{Fe}}_{1--x}{\mathrm{Ni}}_{x}){\mathrm{Te}}_{2} 1T$ is the AFM interfacial phase contributing to exchange bias in the system. This work emphasizes the chemical complexity of TI/FM interfaces that host novel, metastable magnetic topological phases and require more in-depth studies of other similar interfaces.