Manipulation of Time- and Frequency-Domain Dynamics by Magnon-Magnon Coupling in Synthetic Antiferromagnets

Magnons (the quanta of spin waves) could be used to encode information in beyond Moore computing applications. In this study, the magnon coupling between acoustic mode and optic mode in synthetic antiferromagnets (SAFs) is investigated by micromagnetic simulations. For a symmetrical SAF system, the time-evolution magnetizations of the two ferromagnetic layers oscillate in-phase at the acoustic mode and out-of-phase at the optic mode, showing an obvious crossing point in their antiferromagnetic resonance spectra. However, the symmetry breaking in an asymmetrical SAF system by the thickness difference, can induce an anti-crossing gap between the two frequency branches of resonance modes and thereby a strong magnon-magnon coupling appears between the resonance modes. The magnon coupling induced a hybridized resonance mode and its phase difference varies with the coupling strength. The maximum coupling occurs at the bias magnetic field at which the two ferromagnetic layers oscillate with a 90° phase difference. Besides, we show how the resonance modes in SAFs change from the in-phase state to the out-of-phase state by slightly tuning the magnon-magnon coupling strength. Our work provides a clear physical picture for the understanding of magnon-magnon coupling in a SAF system and may provide an opportunity to handle the magnon interaction in synthetic antiferromagnetic spintronics.

Magnetic particle-antiparticle creation and annihilation

A fundamental property of particles and antiparticles, such as electrons and positrons, is their ability to annihilate one another. Similar behavior is predicted for magnetic solitons~\cite{Kovalev_90}-- localized spin textures that can be distinguished by their topological index Q.Theoretically, magnetic topological solitons with opposite values of Q, such as skyrmions~\cite{Bogdanov_89} and their antiparticles -- antiskyrmions -- are expected to be able to merge continuously and to annihilate~\cite{Kuchkin_20i}. However, experimental verification of such particle-antiparticle pair production and annihilation processes has been lacking. Here, we report the creation and annihilation of skyrmion-antiskyrmion pairs in an exceptionally thin film of the cubic chiral magnet B20-type FeGe observed using transmission electron microscopy. Our observations are highly reproducible and are fully consistent with micromagnetic simulations. Our findings provide a new platform for fundamental studies of particles and antiparticles based on magnetic solids and open new perspectives for practical applications of thin films of isotropic chiral magnets.

FORC-Diagram Analysis for a Step-like Magnetization Reversal in Nanopatterned Stripe Array

The fabrication approach of a magnonic crystal with a step-like hysteresis behavior based on a uniform non-monotonous iron layer made by shadow deposition on a preconfigured substrate is reported. The origin of the step-like hysteresis loop behavior is studied with local and integral magnetometry methods, including First-Order Reversal Curves (FORC) diagram analysis, accompanied with magnetic microstructure dynamics measurements. The results are validated with macroscopic magnetic properties and micromagnetic simulations using the intrinsic switching field distribution model. The proposed fabrication method can be used to produce magnonic structures with the controllable hysteresis plateau region’s field position and width that can be used to control the magnonic crystal’s band structure by changing of an external magnetic field.

Spin wave propagation and nonreciprocity in metallic magnonic quasi-crystals

The characteristics of spin waves propagating in Fibonacci magnonic quasi-crystals (MQCs) were investigated in micromagnetic simulations. The spin waves feel 1/3rd of the characteristic Fibonacci sequence length as a period, and mini band gaps reflected by MQCs are formed. The effect of the MQC on the spin wave’s propagation becomes prominent above the first band gap frequency. The properties of spin waves in MQCs generally depend on the propagation direction, because spin waves feel different structures depending on the direction. Therefore, the nonreciprocity (NR) characteristics becomes complex. The NR characteristics change at every band gap frequency and hence across the frequency regions defined by them. In particular, some frequency regions have almost no NR, while others have enhanced NR and some have even negative NR. These characteristics provide a new way to control NR.

Surface acoustic wave controlled skyrmion-based synapse devices

Magnetic skyrmions, particle-like spin structures, are considered as ideal information carriers for neuromorphic computing devices due to their topological stability and nanoscale size. In this work, we proposed to control magnetic skyrmions by electric-field-excited surface acoustic waves in neuromorphic computing device structures. Our micromagnetic simulations show that the number of created skyrmions, which emulates the synaptic weight parameter, increases monotonically with increasing the amplitude of the surface acoustic waves. Additionally, the efficiency of skyrmion creation was investigated systemically with a wide range of the magnetic parameters, and the optimal values have been presented accordingly. Finally, the functionalities of short-term plasticity and long-term potentiation have been demonstrated via the skyrmion excitation by the sequence of surface acoustic waves with different intervals. The application of surface acoustic waves in the skyrmionic neuromorphic computing devices paves a novel way for low-power computing systems.

Recursive evolution of spin-wave multiplets in magnonic crystals of antidot-lattice fractals

We explored spin-wave multiplets excited in a different type of magnonic crystal composed of ferromagnetic antidot-lattice fractals, by means of micromagnetic simulations with a periodic boundary condition. The modeling of antidot-lattice fractals was designed with a series of self-similar antidot-lattices in an integer Hausdorff dimension. As the iteration level increased, multiple splits of the edge and center modes of quantized spin-waves in the antidot-lattices were excited due to the fractals’ inhomogeneous and asymmetric internal magnetic fields. It was found that a recursive development (Fn = Fn−1 + Gn−1) of geometrical fractals gives rise to the same recursive evolution of spin-wave multiplets.

The effect of shape toward characteristics of cerium-iron-boron thin layer

The development of spintronic devices in the magnetic memories industry has attracted researchers over decades. Therefore, researchers are trying to obtain materials which compatible to improve device performance. These materials are made in the form of thin layer. Cerium-iron-boron (Ce-Fe-B) alloy is one of potential materials to be applied for magnetic devices. In this study, the nucleation changes in the Ce-Fe-B thin layer were analyzed using circular and rectangular shapes. This phenomenon was observed through micromagnetic simulations. The magnetic moment stability of Ce-Fe-B was analyzed based on the response of the magnetic moment towards the presence of an external magnetic field. The magnitude of applied external magnetic applied is 0.4 Tesla in x-axis direction. Changes in the arrangement of magnetic moments due to external magnetic fields produce magnetization and anisotropy energy value which describing the characteristics of the Ce-FeB thin layer. Magnetization value of Ce-Fe-B thin film in circular shape was greather than rectangular shape. These value was 0.98 for circular shape and 0.93 for rectangular shape. On the other hand, anisotropy energy value on magnetic external apllied 400 mT, circular shape anisotropy energy’s value of Ce-Fe-B was 4.85×10-18 J, and 6.71×10-18 J for rectangular shape.

Theoretical Study of Field-Free Switching in PMA-MTJ Using Combined Injection of STT and SOT Currents

Field-free switching in perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (P-MTJs) can be achieved by combined injection of spin-transfer torque (STT) and spin-orbit torque (SOT) currents. In this paper, we derived the relationship between the STT and SOT critical current densities under combined injection. We included the damping–like torque (DLT) and field-like torque (FLT) components of both the STT and SOT. The results were derived when the ratio of the FLT to the DLT component of the SOT was positive. We observed that the relationship between the critical SOT and STT current densities depended on the damping constant and the magnitude of the FLT component of the STT and the SOT current. We also noted that, unlike the FLT component of SOT, the magnitude and sign of the FLT component of STT did not have a significant effect on the STT and SOT current densities required for switching. The derived results agreed well with micromagnetic simulations. The results of this work can serve as a guideline to model and develop spintronic devices using a combined injection of STT and SOT currents.