Facet controlled anisotropic magnons in Y3Fe5O12 thin films

Abstract

Directional specific control on the generation and propagation of magnons is essential for designing future magnon-based logic and memory devices for low power computing. The epitaxy of the ferromagnetic thin film is expected to facilitate anisotropic linewidths, which depend on the crystal cut and the orientation of the thin film. Here, we have shown the growth-induced magneto-crystalline anisotropy in 40 nm epitaxial yttrium iron garnet (YIG) thin films, which facilitate cubic and uniaxial in-plane anisotropy in the resonance field and linewidth using ferromagnetic resonance measurements. The growth-induced cubic and non-cubic anisotropy in epitaxial YIG thin films are explained using the short-range ordering of the Fe³⁺ cation pairs in octahedral and tetrahedral sublattices with respect to the crystal growth directions. This site-preferred directional anisotropy enables an anisotropic magnon–magnon interaction and opens an avenue to precisely control the propagation of magnonic current for spin-transfer logics using YIG-based magnonic technology.