D. Grundler

Review and prospects of magnonic crystals?and devices with reprogrammable band structure

Research efforts addressing spin waves (magnons) in microand nanostructured ferromagnetic materials have increased tremendously in recent years. Corresponding experimental and theoretical work in magnonics faces significant challenges in that spinwave dispersion relations are highly anisotropic and different magnetic states might be realized via, for example, the magnetic field history. At the same time, these features offer novel opportunities for wave control in solids going beyond photonics and plasmonics. In this topical review we address materials with a periodic modulation of magnetic parameters that give rise to artificially tailored band structures and allow unprecedented control of spin waves. In particular, we discuss recent achievements and perspectives of reconfigurable magnonic devices for which band structures can be reprogrammed during operation. Such characteristics might be useful for multifunctional microwave and logic devices operating over a broad frequency regime on either the macroor nanoscale.

Magnetic thin-film insulator with ultra-low spin wave damping for coherent nanomagnonics

Wave control in the solid state has opened new avenues in modern information technology. Surface-acoustic-wave-based devices are found as mass market products in 100 millions of cellular phones. Spin waves (magnons) would offer a boost in todays data handling and security implementations, i.e., image processing and speech recognition. However, nanomagnonic devices realized so far suffer from the relatively short damping length in the metallic ferromagnets amounting to a few 10 micrometers typically. Here we demonstrate that nm-thick YIG films overcome the damping chasm. Using a conventional coplanar waveguide we excite a large series of short-wavelength spin waves (SWs). From the data we estimate a macroscopic of damping length of about 600 micrometers. The intrinsic damping parameter suggests even a record value about 1 mm allowing for magnonics-based nanotechnology with ultra-low damping. In addition, SWs at large wave vector are found to exhibit the non-reciprocal properties relevant for new concepts in nanoscale SW-based logics. We expect our results to provide the basis for coherent data processing with SWs at GHz rates and in large arrays of cellular magnetic arrays, thereby boosting the envisioned image processing and speech recognition.

Universal helimagnon and skyrmion excitations in metallic, semiconducting and insulating chiral magnets

Nearly seven decades of research on microwave excitations of magnetic materials have led to a wide range of applications in electronics. The recent discovery of topological spin solitons in chiral magnets, so-called skyrmions, promises high-frequency devices that exploit the exceptional emergent electrodynamics of these compounds. Therefore, an accurate and unified quantitative account of their resonant response is key. Here, we report all-electrical spectroscopy of the collective spin excitations in the metallic, semiconducting and insulating chiral magnets MnSi, Fe1-xCoxSi and Cu2OSeO3, respectively, using broadband coplanar waveguides. By taking into account dipolar interactions, we achieve a precise quantitative modelling across the entire magnetic phase diagrams using two material-specific parameters that quantify the chiral and the critical field energy. The universal behaviour sets the stage for purpose-designed applications based on the resonant response of chiral magnets with tailored electric conductivity and an unprecedented freedom for an integration with electronics.

Omnidirectional spin-wave nanograting coupler

Magnonics as an emerging nanotechnology offers functionalities beyond current semiconductor technology. Spin waves used in cellular nonlinear networks are expected to speed up technologically, demanding tasks such as image processing and speech recognition at low power consumption. However, efficient coupling to microelectronics poses a vital challenge. Previously developed techniques for spin-wave excitation (for example, by using parametric pumping in a cavity) may not allow for the relevant downscaling or provide only individual point-like sources. Here we demonstrate that a grating coupler of periodically nanostructured magnets provokes multidirectional emission of short-wavelength spin waves with giantly enhanced amplitude compared with a bare microwave antenna. Exploring the dependence on ferromagnetic materials, lattice constants and the applied magnetic field, we find the magnonic grating coupler to be more versatile compared with gratings in photonics and plasmonics. Our results allow one to convert, in particular, straight microwave antennas into omnidirectional emitters for short-wavelength spin waves, which are key to cellular nonlinear networks and integrated magnonics.

Spin-wave localization between nearest and next-nearest neighboring holes in an antidot lattice

Broadband spectroscopy on spin waves is performed on a square Ni 80 Fe 20 antidot lattice with deep-submicron holes. Depending on the in-plane magnetic field H applied under different angles η , characteristic multiple resonances are resolved. Substantiated by dynamic micromagnetic simulations, these reflect different types of modes, i.e., extended and localized modes. Depending on η , modes are found to localize between nearest or next-nearest neighboring holes. In a small regime of η , they coexist.

High propagating velocity of spin waves and temperature dependent damping in a CoFeB thin film

Spin wave propagation in a magnetron-sputtered CoFeB thin film is investigated. We apply both in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic fields. At room temperature, we find velocities of up to 25 and 3.5 km/s, respectively. These values are much larger compared to a thin permalloy film. Analyzing the resonance linewidth, we obtain an intrinsic Gilbert damping parameter of about 0.007 at room temperature. It increases to 0.023 at 5 K. CoFeB is a promising material for magnonic devices supporting fast propagating spin waves.

Hysteresis and control of ferromagnetic resonances in rings

The spin dynamics in narrow ferromagnetic rings is studied in the frequency range from 45MHzto20GHz at room temperature. Our broadband spectrometer allows us to monitor the ferromagnetic resonance of characteristic spin configurations as a function of an external field μ0H. We observe hysteresis and irreversible jumps of the resonance frequencies which we attribute to onion-to-vortex and vortex-to-reversed-onion transitions.

Magnonic band structures in two-dimensional bi-component magnonic crystals with in-plane magnetization

We investigate the magnonic band structure of in-plane magnetized two-dimensional magnonic crystals composed of cobalt dots embedded into a permalloy antidot lattice. Our analysis is based on the results of numerical calculations carried out by the plane wave method. The complex magnonic band structure found in square-lattice magnonic crystals is explained on the basis of the spin wave dispersion relations calculated in the empty lattice model. We show that four principal effects influence the formation of a magnonic band structure in planar two-dimensional bi-component magnonic crystals: a folding effect, Bragg scattering, hybridization between various spin wave modes, and a demagnetizing field. While the first two effects are found for other types of waves in periodic composites, the third one exists in an anisotropic medium and the last one is specific to spin waves propagating in magnonic crystals with magnetization in the film plane. The strong anisotropy in the dispersion relation of spin waves in thin ferromagnetic films results in the crossing and anti-crossing of the fast, Damon–Eshbach-like mode with a number of other spin waves folded to the first Brillouin zone. The demagnetizing field can induce the formation of channels for spin waves which are propagating perpendicular to the external magnetic field direction, but this property exists only in the limiting range of the thicknesses and the lattice constants of the bi-component magnonic crystals. Based on the model analysis we propose a modification of the magnonic crystal structure by changing its thickness, lattice constant and aspect ratio along the direction of the applied magnetic field to significantly modify the magnonic band structure and obtain partial magnonic band gaps.

Spatial control of spin-wave modes in Ni80Fe20 antidot lattices by embedded Co nanodisks

Combined all-electrical spin-wave and micro-focused Brillouin light scattering spectroscopies have been used to study spin-wave eigenmodes in bicomponent lattices formed by periodic Co nanodisks introduced in nanotroughs etched into a thin Ni80Fe20 film. We find two characteristic spin-wave modes extending through the lattice perpendicular to the applied field. Their spatial positions depend crucially on the Co nanodisks as they reverse locally the polarity of the internal field. Embedded nanodisks are found to offer control of spin waves at nearly the same eigenfrequency in periodically patterned magnetic devices and magnonic crystals.

Extraordinary magnetoresistance effect in a microstructured metal–semiconductor hybrid structure

We have fabricated hybrid structures consisting of a metallic thin film and of a microstructured two-dimensional electron system in an InAs heterostructure. The devices are found to exhibit a huge magnetoresistance (MR) effect in magnetic fields ⩽1 T. At low temperature, a value of ΔR/R=[R(B=1 T)−R(B=0)]/R(B=0) as high as 115 000% is measured. The value of ΔR/R has been studied as a function of the electron mobility, the electron density and the lateral width of the semiconductor. We find that the MR effect can be tailored by these different parameters and technological relevant devices can be realized.