The
key of spintronic devices using the spin-transfer torque phenomenon
is the effective reduction of switching current density by lowering
the damping constant and the saturation magnetization while retaining
strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. To reduce the saturation
magnetization, particular conditions such as specific substitutions
or buffer layers are required. Herein, we demonstrate highly reduced
saturation magnetization in tetragonal D022 Mn3–xGa thin films prepared by
rf magnetron sputtering, where the epitaxial growth is examined on
various substrates without any buffer layer. As the lattice mismatch
between the sample and the substrate decreases from LaAlO3 and (LaAlO3)0.3(Sr2AlTaO6)0.7 to SrTiO3, the quality of Mn3–xGa films is improved together with the magnetic and
electronic properties. Especially, the Mn3–xGa thin film epitaxially grown on the SrTiO3 substrate,
fully oriented along the c axis perpendicular to
the film plane, exhibits significantly reduced saturation magnetization
as low as 0.06 μB, compared to previous results.
By the structural and chemical analyses, we find that the predominant
removal of Mn II atoms and the large population of Mn3+ ions affect the reduced saturation magnetization. Our findings provide
insights into the magnetic properties of Mn3–xGa crystals, which promise great potential for spin-related
device applications.