Work

Long-range spin wave imaging with nitrogen vacancy centers and time resolved magneto-optical measurements

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Spin waves, the fundamental excitations in magnetic materials, are promising candidates for realizing low-dissipation information processing in spintronics. The ability to visualize and manipulate coherent spin-wave transport is crucial for the development of spin wave-based devices. We use a recently discovered method utilizing nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers, point defects in the diamond lattice, to measure spin waves in thin film magnetic insulators by detecting their magnetic stray field. We experimentally demonstrate enhanced contrast in the detected wavefront amplitudes by imaging spin waves underneath a reference stripline and phenomenologically model the results. By extracting the spin wave dispersion and comparing NV center based spin wave measurements to spin wave imaging conducted through the well-established time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect, we discuss the advantages and limitations of employing NV centers as spin wave sensors.

Source: Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI: 10.1063/5.0243762

Authors: Carolina Lüthi, Lukas Colombo, Franz Vilsmeier, Christian Back

Institutions: Technical University of Munich, Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Magnetic properties of thin films

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology

Awards: G5768859344, G689317879