Anomalous frequency scaling of acoustic phonon damping in freestanding nickel cavities fabricated via laser delamination

Single-shot picosecond (ps) laser-induced delamination allows for the direct generation of suspended membranes from a continuous metallic film, offering a promising platform for the control of ultrafast magnetization dynamics driven by acoustic waves. Using the picosecond-ultrasonics method, we demonstrate that long-lived low-frequency acoustic waves can be optically excited in the delaminated cavities. At the same time, higher-frequency modes above 60 GHz exhibit a surprisingly fast damping, following a scaling law incompatible with the expected attenuation mediated by phonon–phonon scattering. Comparing measurements between delaminated cavities and a benchmark nickel film in contact with the substrate, we link our findings to structural modifications of the nickel crystal induced by the delamination process.