Magnetic resonance imaging of spin-wave transport and interference in a magnetic insulator

Bertelli, I.; Carmiggelt, J.J.; Yu, T.; Simon, B.G.; Pothoven, C.C.; Bauer, G.E.W.; ... ; Sar, T. van der (2020)

Article / Letter to editor

Spin waves—the elementary excitations of magnetic materials—are prime candidate signal carriers for low-dissipation information processing. Being able to image coherent spin-wave transport is crucial for developing interference-based spin-wave devices. We introduce magnetic resonance imaging of the microwave magnetic stray fields that are generated by spin waves as a new approach for imaging coherent spin-wave transport. We realize this approach using a dense layer of electronic sensor spins in a diamond chip, which combines the ability to detect small magnetic fields with a sensitivity to their polarization. Focusing on a thin-film magnetic insulator, we quantify spin-wave amplitudes, visualize spin-wave dispersion and interference, and demonstrate time-domain measurements of spin-wave packets. We theoretically explain the observed anisotropic spin-wave patterns in terms of chiral spin-wave excitation and stray-field coupling to the sensor spins. Our results pave the way for probing spin waves in atomically thin magnets, even when embedded between opaque materials.

• All authors: Bertelli, I.; Carmiggelt, J.J.; Yu, T.; Simon, B.G.; Pothoven, C.C.; Bauer, G.E.W.; Blanter, Y.M.; Aarts, J.; Sar, T. van der
• Date: 2020-11-11
• Journal: Science Advances
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 46
• Pages: eabd3556
• DOI: doi:10.1126/sciadv.abd3556