Spin Seebeck effect in insulating epitaxial γ−Fe2O3 thin films

P. Jiménez-Cavero; I. Lucas; A. Anadón; R. Ramos; T. Niizeki; M. H. Aguirre; P. A. Algarabel; K. Uchida; M. R. Ibarra; E. Saitoh; L. Morellón

doi:10.1063/1.4975618

APL Materials (Feb 2017)

Spin Seebeck effect in insulating epitaxial γ−Fe2O3 thin films

P. Jiménez-Cavero,
I. Lucas,
A. Anadón,
R. Ramos,
T. Niizeki,
M. H. Aguirre,
P. A. Algarabel,
K. Uchida,
M. R. Ibarra,
E. Saitoh,
L. Morellón

Affiliations

P. Jiménez-Cavero: Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
I. Lucas: Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
A. Anadón: Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
R. Ramos: WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
T. Niizeki: WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
M. H. Aguirre: Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
P. A. Algarabel: Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
K. Uchida: National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0047, Japan
M. R. Ibarra: Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
E. Saitoh: WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
L. Morellón: Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4975618
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 5, no. 2
pp. 026103 – 026103-8

Abstract

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We report the fabrication of high crystal quality epitaxial thin films of maghemite (γ−Fe2O3), a classic ferrimagnetic insulating iron oxide. Spin Seebeck effect (SSE) measurements in γ−Fe2O3/Pt bilayers as a function of sample preparation conditions and temperature yield a SSE coefficient of 0.5(1) μV/K at room temperature. Dependence on temperature allows us to estimate the magnon diffusion length in maghemite to be in the range of tens of nanometers, in good agreement with that of conducting iron oxide magnetite (Fe3O4), establishing the relevance of spin currents of magnonic origin in magnetic iron oxides.

Published in APL Materials

ISSN: 2166-532X (Online)
Publisher: AIP Publishing LLC
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Technology: Chemical technology: Biotechnology; Science: Physics
Website: http://aplmaterials.aip.org

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