Spin-wave propagation in cubic anisotropy materials.

The information carrier of modern technologies is the electron charge whose transport inevitably generates Joule heating. Spin-waves, the collective precessional motion of electron spins, do not involve moving charges and thus avoid Joule heating [1-3]. In this respect, magnonic devices in which the information is carried by spin-waves attract interest for low-power computing. However implementation of magnonic devices for practical use suffers from low spin-wave signal and on/off ratio. Here we demonstrate that cubic anisotropy materials can enhance spin-wave signals by improving spin-wave amplitude as well as group velocity and attenuation length. Furthermore, cubic anisotropy material shows an enhanced on/off ratio through a laterally localized edge mode, which closely mimics the gate-controlled conducting channel in traditional field-effect transistors. These attractive features of cubic anisotropy materials will invigorate magnonics research towards wave-based functional devices.

Enhanced ferromagnetic resonance linewidth of the free layer in perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions.

We report the frequency dependence of the ferromagnetic resonance linewidth of the free layer in magnetic tunnel junctions with all perpendicular-to-the-plane magnetized layers. While the magnetic-field-swept linewidth nominally shows a linear growth with frequency in agreement with Gilbert damping, an additional frequency-dependent linewidth broadening occurs that shows a strong asymmetry between the absorption spectra for increasing- and decreasing external magnetic field. Inhomogeneous magnetic fields produced during reversal of the reference and pinned layer complex is demonstrated to be at the origin of the symmetry breaking and the linewidth enhancement. Consequentially, this linewidth enhancement provides indirect information on the magnetic coercivity of the reference and pinned layers. These results have important implications for the characterization of perpendicular magnetized magnetic random access memory bit cells.

Spectroscopy and imaging of edge modes in Permalloy nanodisks.

We report ferromagnetic resonance force microscopy of confined spin-wave modes with improved, 100 nm resolution. The ferromagnetic resonance spectra in Permalloy disks (diameters ranging from 100 to 750 nm) distinguish multiple edge modes, and the images reveal distinct precession patterns. The fundamental edge mode also provides a new, localized probe of the magnetic properties of the film edge; rotation of the applied field reveals large edge property variations in nominally circular disks. As a function of disk diameter, the number of observed edge modes agrees with modeling.

Nanoscale spin wave localization using ferromagnetic resonance force microscopy.

We use the dipolar fields from a magnetic cantilever tip to generate localized spin wave precession modes in an in-plane magnetized, thin ferromagnetic film. Multiple resonances from a series of localized modes are detected by ferromagnetic resonance force microscopy and reproduced by micromagnetic models that also reveal highly anisotropic mode profiles. Modeled scans of line defects using the lowest-frequency mode provide resolution predictions of (94.5±1.5) nm in the field direction, and (390±2) nm perpendicular to the field.

Control of magnetic fluctuations by spin current.

We use microfocus Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy to study the interaction of spin current with magnetic fluctuations in a Permalloy microdisk located on top of a Pt strip carrying an electric current. We show that the fluctuations can be efficiently suppressed or enhanced by different directions of the electric current. Additionally, we find that the effect of spin current on magnetic fluctuations is strongly influenced by nonlinear magnon-magnon interactions. The observed phenomena can be used for controllable reduction of thermal noise in spintronic nanodevices.

Implementation of Two-Dimensional Polycrystalline Grains in Object Oriented Micromagnetic Framework.

In response to the growing need for a more accurate micromagnetic model to understand switching phenomenon in nanoscale magnets, we developed the capability to simulate two-dimensional polycrystalline grains using the Object Oriented Micromagnetic Framework (OOMMF). This addition allows users full flexibility in determining the magnetocrystalline anisotropy and axe in each grain as well as the inter- and intragranular exchange coupling strength.

Localized ferromagnetic resonance in inhomogeneous thin films.

The effect of sample inhomogeneity on the ferromagnetic resonance linewidth is determined by diagonalization of a spin wave Hamiltonian for ferromagnetic thin films with inhomogeneities spanning a wide range of characteristic length scales. A model inhomogeneity is used that consists of size D grains and an anisotropy field H(p) that varies randomly from grain to grain in a film with thickness d and magnetization M(s). The resulting linewidth agrees well with the two-magnon model for small inhomogeneity, H(p)D<>piM(s)d, the precession becomes localized and the spectrum approaches that of local precession on independent grains.