Fully Resonant Magneto-elastic Spin-wave Excitation by Surface Acoustic Waves under Conservation of Energy and Linear Momentum

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the resonant excitation of spin waves in magnetic thin films by surface acoustic waves, confirming energy and momentum conservation through experimental and simulation methods.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental verification of fully resonant spin-wave excitation by surface acoustic waves with conservation of energy and linear momentum.

Findings

Resonant excitation of finite-wavelength spin waves observed at low magnetic fields.

Micro-focused Brillouin light scattering used to study wave interactions.

Simulations confirm energy and momentum transfer from SAWs to spin waves.

Abstract

We report on the resonant excitation of spin waves in micro-structured magnetic thin films by surface acoustic waves (SAWs). The spin waves as well as the acoustic waves are studied by micro-focused Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy. Besides the excitation of the ferromagnetic resonance, a process which does not fulfill momentum conservation, also the excitation of finite-wavelength spin waves can be observed at low magnetic fields. Using micromagnetic simulations, we verify that during this excitation both energy and linear momentum are conserved and fully transferred from the SAW to the spin wave.