Nearly isotropic magnon transport in epitaxial lithium aluminum ferrite thin films

Low-loss magnetic insulating thin films are promising for information transport via magnons, where isotropic in-plane magnon propagation is desirable. We report nonlocal measurements of electrically and thermally generated magnons in epitaxial (001) lithium aluminum ferrite Li0.5Al0.7Fe1.8O4 thin films with pronounced fourfold in-plane magnetic anisotropy. By measuring the inverse spin Hall signal as a function of the magnon diffusion distance, we deduce magnon diffusion lengths that are nearly identical along the [100] and [110] directions at 250 K. This isotropy is consistent with a nearly isotropic exchange stiffness. These results highlight spinel ferrites as viable platforms for isotropic magnon transport.