Enhancement of magnon flux toward a Bose-Einstein condensate

TL;DR

This study combines theory and experiment to analyze how the geometry of microwave pumping influences magnon transfer to the spectral minimum, affecting Bose-Einstein condensation in YIG films.

Contribution

It identifies the dominant kinetic instability mechanism and highlights the impact of pumping angle on magnon flux toward the condensate.

Findings

Transverse pumping yields stronger magnon population at the spectral minimum.

Kinetic instability is more efficient than cascade mechanisms in transferring magnons.

Pumping geometry critically influences magnon distribution and BEC formation.

Abstract

We present a combined theoretical and experimental study of angle-dependent parametric pumping of magnons in Yttrium Iron Garnet films, with a focus on the mechanisms that transfer parametrically injected magnons toward the spectral minimum where Bose-Einstein condensation occurs. Using a classical Hamiltonian formalism, we analyze the threshold conditions for parametric instability as a function of the angle between the microwave pumping field and the external magnetic field, continuously tracing the transition between parallel and transverse pumping. We also describe two competing four-magnon scattering mechanisms that transfer parametric magnons toward the bottom of their frequency spectrum: The step-by-step Kolmogorov-Zakharov cascade, which is allowed for all magnetic field values, and the kinetic instability mechanisms that provide a much more efficient single-step channel in transferring magnons directly to the lowest-energy states, but occurs within specific regions of the pumping angle and the external magnetic field where the conservation laws permit it. In the experimental part, we employ microfocused Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy in combination with a vector magnet, allowing for angle-resolved mapping of the magnon population spectrum under controlled pumping angle. We observe that transverse pumping, although characterized by a higher instability threshold, yields a markedly stronger population at the spectral minimum compared to parallel pumping. These observations demonstrate that the kinetic instability channel plays a dominant role in transferring magnons to the spectral minimum under such conditions. These results reveal the crucial role of pumping geometry in shaping the magnon distribution and provide guidelines for optimizing the flux of magnons into the condensate, thereby advancing the control of magnon Bose-Einstein condensation in magnetic insulators.