Room temperature magnetization dynamics of Y3Fe5O12 films capped with a Cr2O3 layer

Spin-transport across antiferromagnetic insulators (AFMIs) is a novel way to reduce power consumption in pure spin current based devices. In this paper, room temperature magnetization dynamics of Yttrium Iron-Garnet (YIG) interfaced with an AFMI Cr2O3 has been investigated in order to study the spin transport across the AFMI. After capping with 20 nm thick Cr2O3, the Gilbert damping parameter of YIG layer is not changed enormously as compared to the non-capped sample. Cr2O3 of 20 nm thickness is in a spin disordered state at room temperature due to finite size scaling effect. So, it was expected that the spin current from YIG layer can be transmitted through the Cr2O3 layer. However, due to large spin diffusion length and large domain size of Cr2O3 (>20 nm), spin current cannot lose its angular momentum during propagation in Cr2O3 as a result of which, no change in Gilbert damping parameter is noticed. This observation will pave a way for further investigation of spin current transport across AFMIs. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.