Photo-Magnonics: Materials and devices

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Markus Münzenberg
• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2012 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 194872613

We demonstrated in the past that by using femtosecond laser experiments, it is possible to pump spin waves with high precession amplitudes efficiently. On the other hand to use spin waves in novel computation and information devices, named magnonics, became appealing. We will open up a new route: combining “magnonics” with optical access — “photo-magnonics”. The central aspect is the implementation of femtosecond laser pulses for excitation and detection of the magnon modes in two dimensional magnonic crystals. In analogy to photonic crystals one observes itinerant spin-wave Bloch states. Of special interest are dipolar spin-wave modes, whose advantage is that their index of refraction can be easily manipulated by changing the magnetization direction. We will focus on certain aspects to advance this emerging field, which is the investigation of the properties of these artificial spin-wave materials, especially an understanding of the controlled localization and delocalization of spin-wave states in periodic anti-dot lattices. This will allow the realization of first devices as photo-magnonic wave guides and active spin-wave elements using the novel source of spin-wave pumping and detection by femtosecond laser pulses at the end of the project period.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants