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Synthesis and defect control of Sr2IrO4 films by reactive sputtering

Ksenia S. Rabinovich1,*, Olfat Omareya1,*, Tim Priessnitz1,*, Maisam Abdallah1, Kathrin Küster1, Iyad Saadeddin2, Zafer Hawash3, Muayad Abu Saa4, Bernhard Keimer1,† et al.

Gideok Kim1,‡

  • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • †Contact author: b.keimer@fkf.mpg.de
  • ‡Contact author: g.kim@fkf.mpg.de
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Phys. Rev. Materials 10, 073402 – Published 17 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/sddf-k2vk

Abstract

Sr2IrO4 (Sr214) and related iridates have emerged as key platforms for fundamental correlated-electron physics and for potential applications such as magnonics. Here, we report the epitaxial growth of high-quality Sr214 thin films using reactive off-axis sputtering. Conventional pulsed-laser deposition of Sr214 suffers from limitations arising from the volatility and decomposition of iridates, which often result in parasitic Ruddlesden–Popper phases and iridium vacancies. By employing sputtering, we mitigate these issues and achieve stable growth conditions that allow precise mapping of the phase diagram. Systematic variation of the growth temperature reveals that Sr214 stabilizes within a window between 825∘C and 1050∘C, with optimal crystallinity and thickness obtained at 840∘C. Raman spectroscopy provides sensitive diagnostics of iridium vacancies, with defect-induced phonon modes and peak intensity ratios correlating strongly with the c-axis lattice parameter. Our results establish reactive sputtering as a robust route for integrating Sr214 into oxide electronic and magnonic device architectures.

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Phys. Rev. Materials 10, 073402– Published 17 August, 2026
  • Received 7 January 2026
  • Revised 2 June 2026
  • Accepted 29 July 2026
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