No Arabic abstract
Electrical generation of THz spin waves is theoretically explored in an antiferromangetic nanostrip via the current-induced spin-orbit torque. The analysis based on micromagnetic simulations clearly illustrates that the Neel-vector oscillations excited at one end of the magnetic strip can propagate in the form of a traveling wave when the nanostrip axis aligns with the magnetic easy-axis. A sizable threshold is observed in the driving current density or the torque to overcome the unfavorable anisotropy as expected. The generated spin waves are found to travel over a long distance while the angle of rotation undergoes continuous decay in the presence of non-zero damping. The oscillation frequency is tunable via the strength of the spin-orbit torque, reaching the THz regime. Other key characteristics of the spin waves such as the phase and the chirality can also be modulated actively. The simulation results further indicate the possibility of wave-like superposition between the excited spin oscillations, illustrating its application as an efficient source of spin-wave signals for information processing.
Spin transport of magnonic excitations in uniaxial insulating antiferromagnets (AFs) is investigated. In linear response to spin biasing and a temperature gradient, the spin transport properties of normal-metal--insulating antiferromagnet--normal-metal heterostructures are calculated. We focus on the thick-film regime, where the AF is thicker than the magnon equilibration length. This regime allows the use of a drift-diffusion approach, which is opposed to the thin-film limit considered by Bender {it et al.} 2017, where a stochastic approach is justified. We obtain the temperature- and thickness-dependence of the structural spin Seebeck coefficient $mathcal{S}$ and magnon conductance $mathcal{G}$. In their evaluation we incorporate effects from field- and temperature-dependent spin conserving inter-magnon scattering processes. Furthermore, the interfacial spin transport is studied by evaluating the contact magnon conductances in a microscopic model that accounts for the sub-lattice symmetry breaking at the interface. We find that while inter-magnon scattering does slightly suppress the spin Seebeck effect, transport is generally unaffected, with the relevant spin decay length being determined by non-magnon-conserving processes such as Gilbert damping. In addition, we find that while the structural spin conductance may be enhanced near the spin flip transition, it does not diverge due to spin impedance at the normal metal|magnet interfaces.
Spin waves (SWs), the collective precessional motion of spins in a magnetic system, have been proposed as a promising alternative system with low-power consumption for encoding information. Spin Hall nano-oscillator (SHNO), a new-type spintronic nano-device, can electrically excite and control spin waves in both nanoscale magnetic metals and insulators with low damping by the spin current due to spin Hall effect. Here, we will review recent progress about spin-wave excitation and experimental parameters dependent spectrum in SHNOs. The nanogap SHNOs based on in-plane magnetization Py/Pt exhibits a nonlinear self-localized bullet soliton localized at the center of the gap between the electrodes and a secondary high-frequency mode which coexists with the primary bullet mode at higher currents. While in the nanogap SHNOs with strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), besides both nonlinear bullet soliton and propagating spin-wave mode are achieved and controlled by varying the external magnetic field and current, the magnetic bubble skyrmion mode also can be excited at a low in-plane magnetic field. These SW modes show thermal-induced mode hopping behavior at high temperature due to the coupling between modes mediated by thermal-magnon-mediated scattering. Moreover, thanks to PMA-induced effective field, a single coherent mode also can be achieved without applying an external magnetic field. The strong nonlinear effect of spin-waves makes SHNOs easy to achieve synchronization with external microwave signals or mutual synchronization between multiple oscillators with improving the coherence and power of oscillation modes significantly. Spin-waves in SHNOs with an external free magnetic layer have a wide range of applications from as a nanoscale signal source of low-power consumption magnonic devices to spin-based neuromorphic computing systems in the field of artificial intelligence.
We investigate generation of exchange magnons by ultrashort, picosecond acoustic pulses propagating through ferromagnetic thin films. Using the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equations we derive the dispersion relation for exchange magnons for an external magnetic field tilted with respect to the film normal. Decomposing the solution in a series of standing spin wave modes, we derive a system of ordinary differential equations and driven harmonic oscillator equations describing the dynamics of individual magnon mode. The external magnetoelastic driving force is given by the time-dependent spatial Fourier components of acoustic strain pulses inside the layer. Dependencies of the magnon excitation efficiencies on the duration of the acoustic pulses and the external magnetic field highlight the role of acoustic bandwidth and phonon-magnon phase matching. Our simulations for ferromagnetic nickel evidence the possibility of ultrafast magneto-acoustic excitation of exchange magnons within the bandwidth of acoustic pulses in thin samples under conditions readily obtained in femtosecond pump-probe experiments.
The ability to manipulate antiferromagnetic (AF) moments is a key requirement for the emerging field of antiferromagnetic spintronics. Electrical switching of bi-state AF moments has been demonstrated in metallic AFs, CuMnAs and Mn$_2$Au. Recently, current-induced saw-tooth shaped Hall resistance was reported in Pt/NiO bilayers, while its mechanism is under debate. Here, we report the first demonstration of convincing, non-decaying, step-like electrical switching of tri-state Neel order in Pt/$alpha$-Fe$_2$O$_3$ bilayers. Our experimental data, together with Monte-Carlo simulations, reveal the clear mechanism of the switching behavior of $alpha$-Fe$_2$O$_3$ Neel order among three stable states. We also show that the observed saw-tooth Hall resistance is due to an artifact of Pt, not AF switching, while the signature of AF switching is step-like Hall signals. This demonstration of electrical control of magnetic moments in AF insulator (AFI) films will greatly expand the scope of AF spintronics by leveraging the large family of AFIs.
Spin current injection from sputtered yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films into an adjacent platinum layer has been investigated by means of the spin pumping and the spin Seebeck effects. Films with a thickness of 83 and 96 nanometers were fabricated by on-axis magnetron rf sputtering at room temperature and subsequent post-annealing. From the frequency dependence of the ferromagnetic resonance linewidth, the damping constant has been estimated to be $(7.0pm1.0)times 10^{-4}$. Magnitudes of the spin current generated by the spin pumping and the spin Seebeck effect are of the same order as values for YIG films prepared by liquid phase epitaxy. The efficient spin current injection can be ascribed to a good YIG|Pt interface, which is confirmed by the large spin-mixing conductance $(2.0pm0.2)times 10^{18}$ m$^{-2}$.