arXiv subjects

Felix Kohl

Publications and source records attributed to Felix Kohl.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Microscaled Tunable Magnonic RF Phase Shifters

Tunable, microscopic, and energy-efficient solutions for radio-frequency (RF) signal manipulation in the GHz regime are a key technology for efficient communication and sensing applications. Spin waves offer micrometer wavelengths at GHz frequencies, combined with strong magnetic-field tunability, making them inherently well-suited for tunable analog signal processing. Here, we demonstrate a novel concept: a micron-scale tunable RF phase shifter based on the wavelength shift of propagating spin waves. High energy efficiency is achieved by using the stray field of a micromagnet on a piezoelectrically actuated MEMS cantilever to locally induce this shift. The device shows a phase shift of more than 360{\deg} at a center frequency of 6.1 GHz using a phase-shifting area of less than 0.02mm$^2$. By changing the magnetic bias field, its functionality is experimentally confirmed over a range of center frequencies from 3 GHz to 8.2 GHz, and simulations show its applicability up to 14 GHz. A system-level characterization of an embedded device version demonstrates the qualification of magnonic phase shifters for highly integrated RF systems.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2025

Modelling spin-wave interference with electromagnetic leakage in micron-scaled spin-wave transducers

Utilization of spin-wave transducers for radio-frequency signal processing provides significant potential due to intrinsic tunability, scalability and nonlinearity. However, such components can exhibit passband ripples diminishing their operation and functionality. Here, we experimentally identify the electromagnetic crosstalk (EM) as a major source of passband ripples and provide a simple analytic model to predict the impact on device operation. The results are in good agreement with the experimental observation. In addition, we test multiple transducer geometries to identify operational regimes and minimize the EM impact. Finally, the effect of nonlinear device operation on the passband ripples is addressed, which is of relevance for the exploitation of the spin-waves intrinsic nonlinear traits.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2025

Identification and minimization of losses in microscaled spin-wave transducers

Magnonics is a promising platform for integrated radio frequency (rf) devices, leveraging its inherent non-reciprocity and reconfigurability. However, the efficiency of spin-wave transducers driven by rf-currents remains a major challenge. In this study, we systematically investigate a spin-wave transducer composed of micron-sized rf antennas on yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films of different thickness - an ideal testbed for integrated magnonic devices. Using propagating spin-wave spectroscopy and numerical simulations, we analyze spin-wave transmission, identifying key loss mechanisms and improving device efficiency by reducing ohmic resistance. The resulting improvements enable the reduction of insertion loss to below $\SI{10}{dB}$ in microscaled spin-wave transducers. At the same time large non-reciprocity can be exploited to achieve significant isolation on the microscale.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2024

Design rules for low-insertion-loss magnonic transducers

We present a computational framework for the design of magnonic transducers, where waveguide antennas generate and pick up spin-wave signals. Our method relies on the combination of circuit-level models with micromagnetic simulations and allows simulation of complex geometries in the magnonic domain. We validated our model with experimental measurements, which showed good agreement witch the predicted scattering parameters of the system. Using our model we identified scaling rules of the antenna radiation resistance and we show strategies to maximize transduction efficiency between the electric and magnetic domains. We designed a transducer pair on YIG with 5dB insertion loss in a 100 MHz band, an unusually low value for micron-scale spin-wave devices. This demonstrates that magnonic devices can be very efficient and competitive in RF applications.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2024

Tuning magnonic devices with on-chip permanent micromagnets

One of the most appealing features of magnonics is the easy tunability of spin-waves propagation via external magnetic fields. Usually this requires bulky and power-hungry electromagnets which are not compatible with device miniaturization. Here we propose a different approach, exploiting the stray field from permanent micromagnets integrated on the same chip of a magnonic wave-guide. In our monolithic device, we employ two SmCo square micromagnets (10x10 $\mu$m$^2$) flanking a CoFeB conduit at different distances from its axis, to produce a tunable transverse bias field between 7.5 and 3.0 mT in the conduit region between the magnets. Spin waves excited by an antenna just outside the region between the magnets enter a region with a variable higher (lower) effective field when an external bias field is applied parallel (antiparallel) to that from the micromagnets. Consequently, the attenuation length and phase shift of Damon-Eshbach spin waves can be tuned in a wide range by playing with the parallel-antiparallel configuration of the external bias and the distance between SmCo micromagnets and the CoFeB conduit. This work demonstrates the potential of permanent micro-magnets for the realization of low-power, integrated magnonic devices with tunable functionalities.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2023

Temperature-independent ferromagnetic resonance shift in Bi-doped YIG garnets through magnetic anisotropy tuning

Thin garnet films are becoming central for magnon-spintronics and spin-orbitronics devices as they show versatile magnetic properties together with low magnetic losses. These fields would benefit from materials in which heat does not affect the magnetization dynamics, an effect known as the non-linear thermal frequency shift. In this study, low damping Bi substituted Iron garnet (Bi:YIG) ultra-thin films have been grown using Pulsed Laser Deposition. Through a fine tuning of the growth parameters, the precise control of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy allows to achieve a full compensation of the dipolar magnetic anisotropy. Strikingly, once the growth conditions are optimized, varying the growth temperature from 405 {\deg}C to 475 {\deg}C as the only tuning parameter induces the easy-axis to go from out-of-plane to in-plane. For films that are close to the dipolar compensation, Ferromagnetic Resonance measurements yield an effective magnetization $\mu _{0}M_{eff} (T)$ that has almost no temperature dependence over a large temperature range (260 K to 400 K) resulting in an anisotropy temperature exponent of 2. These findings put Bi:YIG system among the very few materials in which the temperature dependence of the magnetic anisotropy varies at the same rate than the saturation magnetization. This interesting behavior is ascribed phenomenologically to the sizable orbital moment of $Bi^{3+}$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Stimulated amplification of propagating spin waves

Spin-wave amplification techniques are key to the realization of magnon-based computing concepts. We introduce a novel mechanism to amplify spin waves in magnonic nanostructures. Using the technique of rapid cooling, we create a non-equilibrium state in excess of high-energy magnons and demonstrate the stimulated amplification of an externally seeded, propagating spin wave. Using an extended kinetic model, we qualitatively show that the amplification is mediated by an effective energy flux of high energy magnons into the low energy propagating mode, driven by a non-equilibrium magnon distribution.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Interference of co-propagating Rayleigh and Sezawa waves observed with micro-focussed Brillouin Light Scattering Spectroscopy

We use micro-focussed Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy ($\mu$BLS) to investigate surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in a GaN layer on a Si substrate at GHz frequencies. Furthermore, we discuss the concept of $\mu$BLS for SAWs and show that the crucial parameters of SAW excitation and propagation can be measured. We investigate a broad range of excitation parameters and observe that Rayleigh and Sezawa waves are excited simultaneously at the same frequency. Spatially resolved measurements of these co-propagating waves show a periodic pattern, which proves their coherent interference. From the periodicity of the spatial phonon patterns, the wavevector difference between the two waves has been identified and compared to the dispersion relation. This concept of co-propagating phonons might be used to produce acoustic or magneto-elastic fields with a time-independent spatial variation similar to the situations realized using counter-propagating waves. However, co-propagating SAW have a well defined direction of the wave vector and thus, posses a finite phonon angular momentum which offers new opportunities, e.g. for angular momentum conversion experiments.

physics.app-ph↗