Development of a Ferromagnetic Resonance Measurement System Using NanoVNA

TL;DR

This paper presents a low-cost, compact FMR measurement system based on NanoVNA, enabling accessible magnetic resonance analysis with comparable accuracy to traditional high-cost VNAs, suitable for small labs and education.

Contribution

The authors developed a fully automated, NanoVNA-based FMR system with integrated electromagnet and CPW, demonstrating its effectiveness and reliability for magnetic characterization.

Findings

Successfully captured clear FMR spectra with systematic resonance shifts

System results agree with conventional VNA-based measurements

Cost-effective and suitable for educational use

Abstract

Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) is a fundamental technique for probing magnetization dynamics in spintronic and magnetic materials. However, conventional FMR measurements rely on broadband vector network analyzers (VNAs), whose high cost limits accessibility for small laboratories and educational environments. To overcome this barrier, we have developed a compact and low-cost FMR measurement platform - the NanoVNA-FMR system-based on a commercially available NanoVNA. The setup integrates an electromagnet and a coplanar waveguide (CPW) and is fully automated using Python scripts. This enables synchronized magnetic-field sweeping, S-parameter acquisition, and real-time visualization. The system successfully captures clear FMR spectra that exhibit systematic shifts in resonance frequency with increasing magnetic field. The results are in excellent agreement with those obtained using a conventional VNA-based FMR system, confirming the quantitative reliability of the NanoVNA approach. Additionally, a 3D-printed sample holder further reduces overall system cost. These results demonstrate that the NanoVNA-FMR system provides a practical, accurate, and accessible alternative for quantitative magnetic characterization and educational applications.