The in-situ observation of magnetostatic spin waves by Brillouin spectroscopy offers a versatile dynamical probe for the investigation of magnetic properties of thin films. The measured spin wave spectra of thin films contain a variety of information about their magnetic as well as structural properties. The frequency of a spin wave allows to determine, e.g., the g-factor, the magnetic anisotropy constants and also the saturation magnetization. The spectral line shape allows conclusions about the film quality, i.e., steps or islands. Furthermore, the unidirectional propagation of the surface spin wave with respect to the magnetization allows to measure the coercitivity field of a film. The latter can be used as an additional characterization parameter of a magnetic film.
Enhanced grain surface effect on magnetic properties of nanometric La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 manganite: Evidence of surface spin freezing of manganite nanoparticles