Optically Inspired Nanomagnonics with Nonreciprocal Spin Waves in Synthetic Antiferromagnets

Integrated optically inspired wave-based processing is envisioned to outperform digital architectures in specific tasks, such as image processing and speech recognition. In this view, spin waves represent a promising route due to their nanoscale wavelength in the gigahertz frequency range and rich phenomenology. Here, a versatile, optically inspired platform using spin waves is realized, demonstrating the wavefront engineering, focusing, and robust interference of spin waves with nanoscale wavelength. In particular, magnonic nanoantennas based on tailored spin textures are used for launching spatially shaped coherent wavefronts, diffraction-limited spin-wave beams, and generating robust multi-beam interference patterns, which spatially extend for several times the spin-wave wavelength. Furthermore, it is shown that intriguing features, such as resilience to back reflection, naturally arise from the spin-wave nonreciprocity in synthetic antiferromagnets, preserving the high quality of the interference patterns from spurious counterpropagating modes. This work represents a fundamental step toward the realization of nanoscale optically inspired devices based on spin waves.     

Electric-field control of spin waves at room temperature in multiferroic BiFeO3

To face the challenges lying beyond present technologies based on complementary metal-oxide-semiconductors, new paradigms for information processing are required. Magnonics proposes to use spin waves to carry and process information, in analogy with photonics that relies on light waves, with several advantageous features such as potential operation in the terahertz range and excellent coupling to spintronics. Several magnonic analog and digital logic devices have been proposed, and some demonstrated. Just as for spintronics, a key issue for magnonics is the large power required to control/write information (conventionally achieved through magnetic fields applied by strip lines, or by spin transfer from large spin-polarized currents). Here we show that in BiFeO(3), a room-temperature magnetoelectric material, the spin-wave frequency (>600 GHz) can be tuned electrically by over 30%, in a non-volatile way and with virtually no power dissipation. Theoretical calculations indicate that this effect originates from a linear magnetoelectric effect related to spin-orbit coupling induced by the applied electric field. We argue that these properties make BiFeO(3) a promising medium for spin-wave generation, conversion and control in future magnonics architectures.     

Direct observation of a propagating spin wave induced by spin-transfer torque

Spin torque oscillators with nanoscale electrical contacts are able to produce coherent spin waves in extended magnetic films, and offer an attractive combination of electrical and magnetic field control, broadband operation, fast spin-wave frequency modulation, and the possibility of synchronizing multiple spin-wave injection sites. However, many potential applications rely on propagating (as opposed to localized) spin waves, and direct evidence for propagation has been lacking. Here, we directly observe a propagating spin wave launched from a spin torque oscillator with a nanoscale electrical contact into an extended Permalloy (nickel iron) film through the spin transfer torque effect. The data, obtained by wave-vector-resolved micro-focused Brillouin light scattering, show that spin waves with tunable frequencies can propagate for several micrometres. Micromagnetic simulations provide the theoretical support to quantitatively reproduce the results.     

Inelastic x-ray scattering

Fundamentals and applications of inelastic X-ray scattering are reviewed, where new developments are emphasized which came about with synchrotron radiation (magnetic inelastic scattering, coherent inelastic scattering). It is shown that, depending both on the amount of momentum transfer and on the resolved range of transferred energy, information about the electron density in momentum space, about collective and individual electron excitations and about collective ion excitations can be obtained.     

Current-induced torques in magnetic materials

The magnetization of a magnetic material can be reversed by using electric currents that transport spin angular momentum. In the reciprocal process a changing magnetization orientation produces currents that transport spin angular momentum. Understanding how these processes occur reveals the intricate connection between magnetization and spin transport, and can transform technologies that generate, store or process information via the magnetization direction. Here we explain how currents can generate torques that affect the magnetic orientation and the reciprocal effect in a wide variety of magnetic materials and structures. We also discuss recent state-of-the-art demonstrations of current-induced torque devices that show great promise for enhancing the functionality of semiconductor devices.     

Spin-wave Theory for the Magnetic Damping in Microwave Nano-Oscillators

Here we present a calculation for the linewidth of the spin-wave that is generated when a spin valve nanostructure is traversed by a high-density spin-polarized direct current. In this case, the magnetization excitations are considered to be standing spin-wave modes interacting through the four-magnon processes. We obtain an analytic expression for the effective nonlinear dissipation rate of a magnetic spin-torque nano-oscillator, taking into account a nonlinear phenomenological model of magnetic dissipation and the natural nonlinear contributions due to the demagnetizing fields. The calculation is applied for the general case of the external magnetic field applied in an arbitrary direction.     

Spin Wave Excitation,Detection, and Utilization in the Organic-Based Magnet,V(TCNE)x (TCNE = Tetracyanoethylene)

Spin waves, quantized as magnons, have low energy loss and magnetic damping, which are critical for devices based on spin-wave propagation needed for information processing devices. The organic-based magnet [V(TCNE)_x; TCNE = tetracyanoethylene; x ≈ 2] has shown an extremely low magnetic damping comparable to, for example, yttrium iron garnet (YIG). The excitation, detection, and utilization of coherent and non-coherent spin waves on various modes in V(TCNE)_x is demonstrated and show that the angular momentum carried by microwave-excited coherent spin waves in a V(TCNE)_x film can be transferred into an adjacent Pt layer via spin pumping and detected using the inverse spin Hall effect. The spin pumping efficiency can be tuned by choosing different excited spin wave modes in the V(TCNE)_x film. In addition, it is shown that non-coherent spin waves in a V(TCNE)_x film, excited thermally via the spin Seebeck effect, can also be used as spin pumping source that generates an electrical signal in Pt with a sign change in accordance with the magnetization switching of the V(TCNE)_x. Combining coherent and non-coherent spin wave detection, the spin pumping efficiency can be thermally controlled, and new insight is gained for the spintronic applications of spin wave modes in organic-based magnets.     

Nanoscale solid-state quantum computing

Most experts agree that it is too early to say how quantum computers will eventually be built, and several nanoscale solid-state schemes are being implemented in a range of materials. Nanofabricated quantum dots can be made in designer configurations, with established technology for controlling interactions and for reading out results. Epitaxial quantum dots can be grown in vertical arrays in semiconductors, and ultrafast optical techniques are available for controlling and measuring their excitations. Single-walled carbon nanotubes can be used for molecular self-assembly of endohedral fullerenes, which can embody quantum information in the electron spin. The challenges of individual addressing in such tiny structures could rapidly become intractable with increasing numbers of qubits, but these schemes are amenable to global addressing methods for computation.     

Controlled enhancement of spin-current emission by three-magnon splitting

Spin currents--the flow of angular momentum without the simultaneous transfer of electrical charge--play an enabling role in the field of spintronics. Unlike the charge current, the spin current is not a conservative quantity within the conduction carrier system. This is due to the presence of the spin-orbit interaction that couples the spin of the carriers to angular momentum in the lattice. This spin-lattice coupling acts also as the source of damping in magnetic materials, where the precessing magnetic moment experiences a torque towards its equilibrium orientation; the excess angular momentum in the magnetic subsystem flows into the lattice. Here we show that this flow can be reversed by the three-magnon splitting process and experimentally achieve the enhancement of the spin current emitted by the interacting spin waves. This mechanism triggers angular momentum transfer from the lattice to the magnetic subsystem and modifies the spin-current emission. The finding illustrates the importance of magnon-magnon interactions for developing spin-current based electronics.     

Microwave nonlinear spin wave directional coupler

A nonlinear spin-wave directional coupler for the microwave range has been designed, constructed, and studied for the first time. Each of the four ports of the device can be used as the input or output for a microwave signal. The role of a control element in the coupler is played by a nonlinear spin wave shifter based on a thin ferromagnetic film. A distinctive feature of the proposed device is that an increase in the input power level leads to the signal switching from one to another output, which is caused by a power-dependent variation in the spin wave phase shift.     

Direct observation and mapping of spin waves emitted by spin-torque nano-oscillators

Dynamics induced by spin-transfer torque is a quickly developing topic in modern magnetism, which has initiated several new approaches to magnetic nanodevices. It is now well established that a spin-polarized electric current injected into a ferromagnetic layer through a nanocontact exerts a torque on the magnetization, leading to microwave-frequency precession detectable through the magnetoresistance effect. This phenomenon provides a way for the realization of tunable nanometre-size microwave oscillators, the so-called spin-torque nano-oscillators (STNOs). Present theories of STNOs are mainly based on pioneering works predicting emission of spin waves due to the spin torque. Despite intense experimental studies, until now this spin-wave emission has not been observed. Here, we report the first experimental observation and two-dimensional mapping of spin waves emitted by STNOs. We demonstrate that the emission is strongly directional, and the direction of the spin-wave propagation is steerable by the magnetic field. The information about the emitted spin waves obtained in our measurements is of key importance for the understanding of the physics of STNOs, and for the implementation of coupling between individual oscillators mediated by spin waves. Analysis shows that the observed directional emission is a general property inherent to any dynamical system with strongly anisotropic dispersion.     

Femtosecond modification of electron localization and transfer of angular momentum in nickel

The rapidly increasing information density required of modern magnetic data storage devices raises the question of the fundamental limits in bit size and writing speed. At present, the magnetization reversal of a bit can occur as quickly as 200 ps (ref. 1). A fundamental limit has been explored by using intense magnetic-field pulses of 2 ps duration leading to a non-deterministic magnetization reversal. For this process, dissipation of spin angular momentum to other degrees of freedom on an ultrafast timescale is crucial. An even faster regime down to 100 fs or below might be reached by non-thermal control of magnetization with femtosecond laser radiation. Here, we show that an efficient novel channel for angular momentum dissipation to the lattice can be opened by femtosecond laser excitation of a ferromagnet. For the first time, the quenching of spin angular momentum and its transfer to the lattice with a time constant of 120+/-70 fs is determined unambiguously with X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. We report the first femtosecond time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy data over an entire absorption edge, which are consistent with an unexpected increase in valence-electron localization during the first 120+/-50 fs, possibly providing the driving force behind femtosecond spin-lattice relaxation.     

Probing the Superconducting Pairing Symmetry from Spin Excitations in BiS2 Based Superconductors

Starting from a two-orbital model and based on the random phase approximation, spin excitations in the superconducting state of the newly discovered BiS₂ superconductors with three possible pairing symmetries are studied theoretically. It is found that the spin response is uniquely determined by the pairing symmetry. Possible spin resonance excitations may occur at an incommensurate momentum about (0.7π,0.7π) for the d-wave symmetry, while the transverse spin excitation near (0,0) is enhanced for the p-wave symmetry and no spin resonance signature is seen for the s-wave pairing symmetry. These distinct features may be used for probing or determining the pairing symmetry in this newly discovered compound.     

Zero-temperature relaxation in spin-polarized fermi liquids

We discuss the effect of zero-temperature attenuation, which has been recently observed in spin dynamics of spin-polarized Fermi liquids, on other Fermi-liquid processes. The transfer of this attenuation mechanism from transverse spin dynamics to longitudinal processes can be caused by the magnetic dipole interaction, namely, by the direct dipole processes and the dipole coupling between the transverse spin dynamics and the longitudinal transport and relaxation processes. We calculated the zero-temperature sound attenuation in spin-polarized Fermi liquids, corrections to the threshold of spin-wave (Castaing) instability, and the effective zero-temperature viscosity and longitudinal relaxation time in low- and high-frequency regimes.     

Effect of surface spin pinning on the spin-wave propagation inyttrium iron garnet films

The effect of the surface spin pinning on the spin-wave dispersion and propagation characteristics of yttrium iron garnet (YIG) film was studied both experimentally and theoretically. Modification of the spin-wave amplitude frequency response due to the variations of the pinning conditions on the film surfaces and the bias magnetization direction was studied. Ion bombardment with low-energy H⁺ ions was used to control the surface spins pinning. Strong attenuation notches in the spin-wave amplitude-frequency response of ion processed YIG film was treated in terms of dipole hybridization of dispersion branches and appearance of the dipole “gaps” in spin-wave spectrum. The hybridization of spin-wave spectrum was studied for the case of arbitrary magnetization direction and arbitrary surface spin pinning. It has been found that for noninfinite pinning of surface spins, there are magnetization directions for which the gaps in the spectrum are smaller than relaxation frequency, and spin-wave response is smooth     

Dynamical Charge and Spin Susceptibilities in a Frame of t-J-G Model

We have calculated the dynamical charge and spin susceptibilities using the new analytical expression obtained beyond a conventional random phase approximation scheme. Both susceptibilities are strongly peaked along a contour around wave vector Q = (π, π). We have analyzed the dispersions of the collective excitations near Q = (π, π) corresponding to a spin density wave and charge density wave modes, respectively. In addition we have calculated the momentum dependence of the imaginary part of the charge and spin susceptibilities along the instability contour and show that both susceptibilities display a maximum around the points (π, ±q ₀), (±q ₀, π) in Brillouine zone with decreasing temperature that indicates that the stripe-like instability may become preferable.     

Magnon-drag thermopile

Thermoelectric effects in spintronics are gathering increasing attention as a means of managing heat in nanoscale structures and of controlling spin information by using heat flow. Thermal magnons (spin-wave quanta) are expected to play a major role; however, little is known about the underlying physical mechanisms involved. The reason is the lack of information about magnon interactions and of reliable methods to obtain it, in particular for electrical conductors because of the intricate influence of electrons. Here, we demonstrate a conceptually new device that enables us to gather information on magnon-electron scattering and magnon-drag effects. The device resembles a thermopile formed by a large number of pairs of ferromagnetic wires placed between a hot and a cold source and connected thermally in parallel and electrically in series. By controlling the relative orientation of the magnetization in pairs of wires, the magnon drag can be studied independently of the electron and phonon-drag thermoelectric effects. Measurements as a function of temperature reveal the effect on magnon drag following a variation of magnon and phonon populations. This information is crucial to understand the physics of electron-magnon interactions, magnon dynamics and thermal spin transport.     

外尔半金属TaAs单晶的研究进展

外尔半金属是当两个自旋非简并能带在三维动量空间通过费米能级附近时,其低能准粒子激发具有外尔费米子的所有特征的一类材料体系。外尔费米子是狄拉克方程的无质量解,可以看作是在三维空间一对重叠在一起且具有相反手性的粒子。TaAs单晶作为一种非磁性的外尔半金属,在其中能够观测到外尔费米子,并产生许多奇异的物理现象,如费米弧、负磁阻效应、量子反常霍尔效应等,使其在发展新型电子器件和拓扑量子计算等领域有着重要应用潜力。介绍了外尔半金属的相关基础理论和重要实验,重点探讨了TaAs单晶生长相关的技术问题,分析了化学气相传输法的优缺点。     

Template-grown NiFe/Cu/NiFe nanowires for spin transfer devices

We have developed a new reliable method combining template synthesis and nanolithography-based contacting technique to elaborate current perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance spin valve nanowires, which are very promising for the exploration of electrical spin transfer phenomena. The method allows the electrical connection of one single nanowire in a large assembly of wires embedded in anodic porous alumina supported on Si substrate with diameters and periodicities to be controllable to a large extent. Both magnetic excitations and switching phenomena driven by a spin-polarized current were clearly demonstrated in our electrodeposited NiFe/Cu/ NiFe trilayer nanowires. This novel approach promises to be of strong interest for subsequent fabrication of phase-locked arrays of spin transfer nano-oscillators with increased output power for microwave applications.     

Current-induced domain nucleation in ferromagnet

A key mechanism of the current-induced magnetization dynamics is the spin torque from a spin polarized current (spin current), which couples to spatial gradient of magnetization. Recently, it was pointed out that a large spin current applied to a uniform ferromagnet leads to a spin-wave instability. In this paper, we show that such instability is absent in a state containing a domain wall. This may indicate that nucleation of magnetic domains occurs above a certain critical spin current. This scenario is supported by an explicit energy comparison between the uniformly magnetized state and the domain-wall state under spin current.