Cryogenic magnetization dynamics in tensile-strained ultrathin yttrium iron garnets with tunable magnetic anisotropy

Abstract: We report a significant reduction of low-temperature damping losses in tensile-strained, ultrathin Y3Fe5O12 (YIG) films grown by pulsed laser deposition, exhibiting ultralow damping constants and tunable magnetic anisotropy. Comparative broadband FMR measurements show that tensile-strained YIG films on Gd3Sc2Ga3O12 (GSGG) retain low damping even at nanometer thicknesses and cryogenic temperatures, outperforming relaxed films on Gd3Ga5O12. Based on static magnetometry measurements and microstructural characterization, we attribute these enhanced dynamic properties to the suppression of interdiffusion across the YIG/GSGG interface, resulting from enhanced chemical stability and favorable growth kinetics by the presence of Sc. Our findings highlight the importance of chemical and kinetic factors in achieving few-nanometer-thick YIG film with negligible low-temperature damping dissipation and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy for cryogenic spintronic applications.