  Efficient spin injection from epitaxial ferrimagnetic NiFe$_2$O$_4$ thin
films into a Pd layer is demonstrated via spin Seebeck effect measurements in
the longitudinal geometry. The NiFe$_2$O$_4$ films (60 nm to 1 $\mu$m) are
grown by pulsed laser deposition on isostructural spinel MgAl$_2$O$_4$,
MgGa$_2$O$_4$, and CoGa$_2$O$_4$ substrates with lattice mismatch varying
between 3.2% and 0.2%. For the thinner films ($\leq$ 330 nm), an increase in
the spin Seebeck voltage is observed with decreasing lattice mismatch, which
correlates well with a decrease in the Gilbert damping parameter as determined
from ferromagnetic resonance measurements. High resolution transmission
electron microscopy studies indicate substantial decrease of antiphase boundary
and interface defects that cause strain-relaxation, i.e., misfit dislocations,
in the films with decreasing lattice mismatch. This highlights the importance
of reducing structural defects in spinel ferrites for efficient spin injection.
It is further shown that angle-dependent spin Seebeck effect measurements
provide a qualitative method to probe for in-plane magnetic anisotropies
present in the films.
