Antiferromagnetic Magnonic Crystals

TL;DR

This paper explores how periodic modulations in antiferromagnetic materials can create magnonic crystals with tunable band structures, bridging antiferromagnetic spintronics and magnonics.

Contribution

It demonstrates the feasibility of engineering magnonic band structures in antiferromagnetic systems through periodic modulation of magnetic properties.

Findings

Periodic modulation creates allowed and forbidden magnonic bands.

Bandwidths and gaps can be precisely controlled.

Links antiferromagnetic spintronics with magnonic applications.

Abstract

We describe the features of magnonic crystals based upon antiferromagnetic elements. Our main results are that with a periodic modulation of either magnetic fields or system characteristics, such as the anisotropy, it is possible to tailor the spin wave spectra of antiferromagnetic systems into a band-like organization that displays a segregation of allowed and forbidden bands. The main features of the band structure, such as bandwidths and bandgaps, can be readily manipulated. Our results provide a natural link between two steadily growing fields of spintronics: antiferromagnetic spintronics and magnonics.