Mutual control of coherent spin waves and magnetic domain walls in a magnonic device

TLDR

Magnetics uses spin waves as information carriers, offering lower Joule heating than charge currents, but their control remains challenging. The study reports that two groups are advancing magnon-based devices. Domain walls in multilayer films can alter spin-wave phase and amplitude, and magnon currents can switch adjacent layer magnetization. Referenced works: Han et al.

Abstract

Toward magnonic devices The field of magnonics aims to use spin waves (SWs) and their associated quasiparticles—magnons—as carriers of information. Compared with the movement of charge in conventional electronics, a major advantage of SWs is reduced Joule heating. However, SWs are trickier to direct and control. Two groups now go a step further toward magnon-based devices. Han et al. show that in multilayer films, domain walls can be used to change the phase and magnitude of a spin wave. Wang et al. demonstrate how magnon currents can be used to switch the magnetization of an adjacent layer. Science , this issue p. 1121 , p. 1125