Direct detection of magnon spin transport by the inverse spin Hall effect

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the direct detection of magnon spin transport via the inverse spin Hall effect, showing that spin waves can transfer information over macroscopic distances in spintronic devices.

Contribution

It presents a time-resolved experiment that directly links traveling magnons to electron spin currents using ISHE detection in YIG/Pt structures.

Findings

Magnons can be converted into spin currents detectable by ISHE.

Spin-wave packets travel over 3 mm with measurable delay.

Spin transport is confirmed by the delayed ISHE voltage pulse.

Abstract

Conversion of traveling magnons into an electron carried spin current is demonstrated in a time resolved experiment using a spatially separated inductive spin-wave source and an inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) detector. A short spin-wave packet is excited in a yttrium-iron garnet (YIG) waveguide by a microwave signal and is detected at a distance of 3 mm by an attached Pt layer as a delayed ISHE voltage pulse. The delay in the detection appears due to the finite spin-wave group velocity and proves the magnon spin transport. The experiment suggests utilization of spin waves for the information transfer over macroscopic distances in spintronic devices and circuits.