Kazuya Harii

Transmission of electrical signals by spin-wave interconversion in a magnetic insulator

The energy bandgap of an insulator is large enough to prevent electron excitation and electrical conduction. But in addition to charge, an electron also has spin, and the collective motion of spin can propagate—and so transfer a signal—in some insulators. This motion is called a spin wave and is usually excited using magnetic fields. Here we show that a spin wave in an insulator can be generated and detected using spin-Hall effects, which enable the direct conversion of an electric signal into a spin wave, and its subsequent transmission through (and recovery from) an insulator over macroscopic distances. First, we show evidence for the transfer of spin angular momentum between an insulator magnet Y3Fe5O12 and a platinum film. This transfer allows direct conversion of an electric current in the platinum film to a spin wave in the Y3Fe5O12 via spin-Hall effects. Second, making use of the transfer in a Pt/Y3Fe5O12/Pt system, we demonstrate that an electric current in one metal film induces voltage in the other, far distant, metal film. Specifically, the applied electric current is converted into spin angular momentum owing to the spin-Hall effect in the first platinum film; the angular momentum is then carried by a spin wave in the insulating Y3Fe5O12 layer; at the distant platinum film, the spin angular momentum of the spin wave is converted back to an electric voltage. This effect can be switched on and off using a magnetic field. Weak spin damping in Y3Fe5O12 is responsible for its transparency for the transmission of spin angular momentum. This hybrid electrical transmission method potentially offers a means of innovative signal delivery in electrical circuits and devices.

Inverse spin-Hall effect induced by spin pumping in metallic system

The inverse spin-Hall effect (ISHE) induced by the spin pumping has been investigated systematically in simple ferromagnetic/paramagnetic bilayer systems. The spin pumping driven by ferromagnetic resonance injects a spin current into the paramagnetic layer, which gives rise to an electromotive force transverse to the spin current using the ISHE in the paramagnetic layer. In a Ni81Fe19/Pt film, we found an electromotive force perpendicular to the applied magnetic field at the ferromagnetic resonance condition. The spectral shape of the electromotive force is well reproduced using a simple Lorentz function, indicating that the electromotive force is due to the ISHE induced by the spin pumping; extrinsic magnetogalvanic effects are eliminated in this measurement. The electromotive force varies systematically by changing the microwave power, magnetic-field angle, and film size, being consistent with the prediction based on the Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation combined with the models of the ISHE and spin pump...

Unidirectional spin-wave heat conveyer.

When energy is introduced into a region of matter, it heats up and the local temperature increases. This energy spontaneously diffuses away from the heated region. In general, heat should flow from warmer to cooler regions and it is not possible to externally change the direction of heat conduction. Here we show a magnetically controllable heat flow caused by a spin-wave current. The direction of the flow can be switched by applying a magnetic field. When microwave energy is applied to a region of ferrimagnetic Y3Fe5O12, an end of the magnet far from this region is found to be heated in a controlled manner and a negative temperature gradient towards it is formed. This is due to unidirectional energy transfer by the excitation of spin-wave modes without time-reversal symmetry and to the conversion of spin waves into heat. When a Y3Fe5O12 film with low damping coefficients is used, spin waves are observed to emit heat at the sample end up to 10 mm away from the excitation source. The magnetically controlled remote heating we observe is directly applicable to the fabrication of a heat-flow controller.

Interface induced inverse spin Hall effect in bismuth/permalloy bilayer

Inverse spin Hall effect has been investigated in bismuth(Bi)/permalloy(Py) bilayer films by using the spin pumping at room temperature. From the ferromagnetic-resonance-spectrum linewidth data, Bi is proved to be a good spin sink in our structure. We measured inverse spin Hall voltage and conductance of the Bi/Py bilayer and found that the inverse spin Hall current, Ic, decreases with increasing the Bi thickness, which is in contrast to the former understanding in similar bilayer systems, e.g., Pt/Py. We constructed a model to explain the thickness dependence of Ic quantitatively, in which spin transport modulation near Bi/Py interface is considered.

All-oxide system for spin pumping

In a simple all-oxide system, spin pumping driven by spin wave resonances have been investigated by using the inverse spin-Hall effect (ISHE). In a lanthanum doped yttrium iron garnet (La:YIG)/indium tin oxide (ITO) bilayer film, the spin pumping generates and injects a spin current into the ITO layer, and an electromotive force signal is observed via the ISHE. The electromotive forces were measured depend on the out-of-plane magnetic-field-angle and the microwave excitation power, which were consistent with the theoretical prediction of the ISHE. The realization of the all-oxide spin pumping system extends possibilities for the oxide spintronics.

Continuous Generation of Spinmotive Force in a Patterned Ferromagnetic Film

We study, both experimentally and theoretically, the generation of a dc spinmotive force. By exciting a ferromagnetic resonance of a comb-shaped ferromagnetic thin film, a continuous spinmotive force is generated. Experimental results are well reproduced by theoretical calculations, offering a quantitative and microscopic understanding of this spinmotive force.

Mechanical generation of spin current by spin-rotation coupling

Spin-rotation coupling, which is responsible for angular momentum conversion between the electron spin and rotational deformations of elastic media, is exploited for generating spin current. This method requires neither magnetic moments nor spin-orbit interaction. The spin current generated in nonmagnets is calculated in the presence of surface acoustic waves. We solve the spin diffusion equation, extended to include spin-rotation coupling, and find that larger spin currents can be obtained in materials with longer spin lifetimes. Spin accumulation induced on the surface is predicted to be detectable by time-resolved Kerr spectroscopy.

Universality of the spin pumping in metallic bilayer films

We show a clear guideline for generating a large spin current using the spin pumping in metallic bilayer films. We measured spin currents generated by the spin pumping in Ni1−xFex/Pt bilayer films using the inverse spin-Hall effect (ISHE). The magnitude of the ISHE signals are well reproduced by a calculation based on the model of the spin pumping. The result shows that the amplitude of a spin current is universally determined by the product of the saturation magnetization, the additional damping constant, and the solid angle of the magnetization precession.

Frequency dependence of spin pumping in Pt/Y3Fe5O12 film

The frequency dependence of magnetization precession in spin pumping has been investigated using the inverse spin-Hall effect in a Pt/Y3Fe5O12 bilayer film. We found that the magnitude of a spin current generated by the spin pumping depends weakly on the applied microwave frequency. This weak dependence, which is attributed to the compensation between the frequency change in the spin-pumping cycle and the dynamic magnetic susceptibility, is favorable for making a spin-current-driven microwave demodulator. This behavior is consistent with a model calculation based on the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation combined with the spin mixing.

Observation of Barnett fields in solids by nuclear magnetic resonance

A magnetic field is predicted to emerge on a particle in a rotating material body even if the body is electrically neutral. This emergent field is called a Barnett field. We show that nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) enables direct measurement of the Barnett field in solids. We rotated both a sample and an NMR coil synchronously at high speed and found an NMR shift whose sign reflects that of the nuclear magnetic moments. This result provides direct evidence of the Barnett field. The use of NMR for Barnett field measurement enables the unknown signs of nuclear magnetic moments in solids to be determined.