Spin waves are collective excitations of spins in magnetic materials, that can be used to transport and manipulate spin information in spintronic devices. In this work, we use the magnetic field...Show moreSpin waves are collective excitations of spins in magnetic materials, that can be used to transport and manipulate spin information in spintronic devices. In this work, we use the magnetic field generated by a radio frequency (RF) current in a microstrip to excite surface-confined Damon-Eshbach spin waves in an Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) thin film. First, we measure the propagating spin waves by recording the currents they generate via induction in a second microstrip. By sweeping the RF frequency, we map out the spin wave spectrum excited in the YIG. Next, we harness the spin associated to a nitrogen-vacancy lattice defect in diamond (NV center) to locally probe the magnetic stray fields generated by the spin waves. By monitoring the NV center’s electron spin resonance (ESR) contrast and Rabi frequency we register the spectrum of the spin waves in a unique way. Moreover, we directly observe the filter function decay of the spin wave’s magnetic field and characterise resonant spin wave excitation in a microstrip cavity. Finally, we use a single NV center embedded in an AFM scanning probe to directly image the wavefronts of spin waves in YIG. This was never done before and paves the way for magnon imaging at the nanoscale.Show less
