Publications Repository - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

Magnetic garnets such as yttrium iron garnet (Y3 Fe 5 O12 , YIG) are widely used in spintronic and magnonic
devices. Their magnetic and magneto-optical properties can be modified over a wide range by tailoring their
chemical composition. Here, we report the successful growth of Al-substituted yttrium iron garnet (YAlIG) thin
films via radio frequency sputtering in combination with an ex situ annealing step. Upon selecting appropriate
process parameters, we obtain highly crystalline YAlIG films with different Al 3+ substitution levels on both
single crystalline Y 3 Al 5 O12 (YAG) and Gd 3 Ga 5 O12 (GGG) substrates. With increasing Al 3+ substitution levels,
we observe a reduction of the saturation magnetization as well as a systematic decrease of the magnetic ordering
temperature to values well below room temperature. YAlIG thin films thus provide an interesting material
platform for spintronic and magnonic experiments in different magnetic phases.