C. W. Sandweg

Spin Pumping by Parametrically Excited Exchange Magnons

We experimentally show that exchange magnons can be detected by using a combination of spin pumping and the inverse spin-Hall effect proving its wavelength integrating capability down to the submicrometer scale. The magnons were injected in a ferrite yttrium iron garnet film by parametric pumping and the inverse spin-Hall effect voltage was detected in an attached Pt layer. The role of the density, wavelength, and spatial localization of the magnons for the spin pumping efficiency is revealed.

Enhancement of the spin pumping efficiency by spin wave mode selection

The spin pumping efficiency of standing spin wave modes in a rectangular Y3Fe5O12/Pt sample has been investigated by means of inverse spin-Hall effect (ISHE). Standing spin waves drive spin pumping, the generation of spin currents from magnetization precession, into the Pt layer which is converted into a detectable voltage due to the ISHE. We discovered that the spin pumping efficiency is significantly higher for standing surface spin waves, hybridized with thickness modes, rather than for volume spin wave modes. The results suggest that the use of higher-mode surface spin waves allows for the fabrication of an efficient spin-current injector.

Direct observation of domain wall structures in curved permalloy wires containing an antinotch

The formation and field response of head-to-head domain walls in curved permalloy wires, fabricated to contain a single antinotch, have been investigated using Lorentz microscopy. High spatial resolution maps of the vector induction distribution in domain walls close to the antinotch have been derived and compared with micromagnetic simulations. In wires of 10 nm thickness the walls are typically of a modified asymmetric transverse wall type. Their response to applied fields tangential to the wire at the antinotch location was studied. The way the wall structure changes depends on whether the field moves the wall away from or further into the notch. Higher fields are needed and much more distorted wall structures are observed in the latter case, indicating that the antinotch acts as an energy barrier for the domain wall.

Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy of parametrically excited dipole-exchange magnons

The spectral distribution of parametrically excited dipole-exchange magnons in an in-plane magnetized epitaxial film of yttrium-iron garnet was studied by means of frequency- and wavevector-resolved Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy. The experiment was performed in a parallel pumping geometry where an exciting microwave magnetic field was parallel to the magnetizing field. It was found that for both dipolar and exchange spectral areas parallel pumping excites the lowest volume magnon modes propagating in the film plane perpendicularly to the magnetization direction. In order to interpret the experimental observations, we used a microscopic Heisenberg model that includes exchange as well as dipole-dipole interactions to calculate the magnon spectrum and construct the eigenstates. As proven in our calculations, the observed magnons are characterized by having the highest possible ellipticity of precession which suggests the lowest threshold of parametric generation. Applying different pumping powers we observe modifications in the magnon spectrum that are described theoretically by a softening of the spin stiffness.

Wide-range wavevector selectivity of magnon gases in Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy.

Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy is a powerful technique for the study of fast magnetization dynamics with both frequency and wavevector resolutions. Here, we report on a distinct improvement of this spectroscopic technique toward two-dimensional wide-range wavevector selectivity in a backward scattering geometry. Spin-wave wavevectors oriented perpendicularly to the bias magnetic field are investigated by tilting the sample within the magnet gap. Wavevectors which are oriented parallel to the applied magnetic field are analyzed by turning the entire setup, including the magnet system. The setup features a wide selectivity of wavevectors up to 2.04x10(5) rad/cm for both orientations, and allows selecting and measuring wavevectors of dipole- and exchange-dominated spin waves of any orientation to the magnetization simultaneously.

Dissipation characteristics of quantized spin waves in nano-scaled magnetic ring structures

The spatial profiles and the dissipation characteristics of spin-wave quasi-eigenmodes are investigated in small magnetic Ni81Fe19 ring structures using Brillouin light scattering microscopy. It is found that the decay constant of a mode decreases with increasing mode frequency.

Modification of the thermal spin-wave spectrum in a Ni81Fe19 stripe by a domain wall

The thermal spin-wave distribution in a Ni81Fe19 stripe with an asymmetric transverse domain wall has been investigated using Brillouin light scattering microscopy. Clear evidence has been found that the existence of the domain wall influences the spin-wave distribution of the thermal modes. The thermal spin-wave modes are quantized due to confinement in the radial direction. They vanish near the domain wall and a new mode evolves inside this complex domain wall structure. This effect is attributed to the change in the effective internal field in the domain wall region. The experimental results agree well with static and dynamic micromagnetic simulations.