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Magnetic and structural properties of epitaxial Er-substituted yttrium iron garnet films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Lukáš Flajšman1,*, Lars Peeters1, Armi Kosunen1, Lide Yao2, Ionela Lindfors-Vrejoiu3, and Sebastiaan van Dijken1,†

  • *Contact author: lukas.flajsman@aalto.fi
  • †Contact author: sebastiaan.van.dijken@aalto.fi
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Phys. Rev. Materials 10, 054408 – Published 8 May, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/79wc-6cdd

Abstract

Er-substituted yttrium iron garnet (Er:YIG) holds the potential of combining the low magnetic damping of YIG with the telecom-band optical transitions of Er3+ ions, making it a suitable material for hybrid optomagnonic devices and microwave-to-optical quantum transduction. We report the epitaxial growth of ErxY3−xFe5O12 films with x=0.008–0.2 on (111)-oriented gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction, reciprocal space mapping, and scanning transmission electron microscopy confirm single-phase, fully coherent growth with atomically sharp interfaces across the entire substitution range. Magnetometry reveals a gradual decrease in saturation magnetization with increasing Er content, consistent with antiparallel coupling between Er3+ spins and the net Fe3+ moments, along with the emergence of an in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. The ferromagnetic resonance broadens with Er content due to increased Gilbert damping and inhomogeneous linewidth broadening. Er:YIG films with x=0.008, most relevant for optomagnonic applications, retain nearly isotropic magnetization and exhibit a damping parameter only slightly higher than that of undoped YIG. These results identify growth and substitution conditions that preserve YIG's low-loss magnetic properties while introducing optical functionality, establishing Er:YIG as a viable platform for hybrid quantum magnonics and microwave-to-optical transduction.

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Phys. Rev. Materials 10, 054408– Published 8 May, 2026
  • Received 12 November 2025
  • Accepted 16 April 2026
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