arXiv subjects

Jean-Paul Adam

Publications and source records attributed to Jean-Paul Adam.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Spin-wave softening across the uniform-to-stripe domain transition in iron garnet film

Spin-wave spectra across transitions between uniform and textured phases can offer deep insight into both symmetry-breaking physics and self-assembled magnonic bands. However, experiments require a material platform that combines low damping, well-defined textures, and spectroscopic access. Here, we study a Bi-doped iron-garnet film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), which undergoes a uniform-to-stripe-domain transition as a function of in-plane magnetic field. Real-space imaging by magnetic force microscopy reveals field-reorientable stripe domains aligned with the in-plane field, while reciprocal-space measurements using thermal microfocused Brillouin light scattering ($\mu$-BLS) reveal the softening of a low-frequency spin-wave branch near the transition and the appearance of additional modes in the stripe-domain state. Calculated dispersion relations identify finite-$k$ softening in the Damon-Eshbach geometry ($k \perp M$), with the corresponding wavelength matching the stripe periodicity at the transition. In addition, a $\mu$-BLS spectral model reproduces the measured mode frequencies and relative intensities at selected fixed fields. Micromagnetic simulations capture the field-driven formation of the stripe state and reproduce the experimental thermal $\mu$-BLS spectra. Our findings establish BiYIG with PMA as a model low-damping platform for studying spin-wave freezing, stripe-domain modes, and reconfigurable magnonic band structures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Reprogrammable magnonic logic in a multiferroic heterostructure via magnetoelectric coupling

The realization of fully reconfigurable, voltage-controlled, and programmable on-chip magnonic devices is essential to fully harness the potential of spin waves for signal processing, logic and neuromorphic computing. Yet, existing demonstrations of electrical tuning of magnonic responses are either volatile, current-driven and thus energy-inefficient, or rely on local strain modification limiting their scalability for wafer-scale integration. Here, we address this challenge using a BiFeO3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 multiferroic thin film heterostructure. We show that ferroelectric domain engineering in BiFeO3 enables deterministic tuning of the magnon dispersion of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3, producing frequency shifts up to $\sim 150 MHz$ and allowing reconfigurable waveguiding. Micro-focused Brillouin light scattering directly images these effects, revealing electrically defined magnonic waveguides and spatially programmable dispersion. Compared to conventional approaches, this method provides non-volatile and reversible control. Furthermore, using an inverse-design simulation code, we demonstrate the capability of our platform to perform advanced magnonic functions such as frequency demultiplexing. Our results open a new avenue for using magnetoelectric heterostructures for magnonic logic, with further applicability to reservoir and neuromorphic computing and AI driven magnonic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Guidelines for interpreting microfocused Brillouin light scattering spectra

We present an analysis of the influence of spin wave dispersion relations and profiles on microfocused Brillouin Light Scattering spectra. Three archetypal magnetic materials are reported: a 51-nm thick Bi-substituted YIG, a 25-nm thick Heusler compound and 50-nm thick CoFeB alloy. These samples were chosen because they exhibit strongly contrasting spectral features -peak frequencies, linewidth, skewness. The shapes of these spectral features reflect the underlying spin wave dispersion relations and the thickness profile of the related spin wave modes. While analytical expressions of the dispersion relations provide a satisfactory description of the spectra if the modes are in separate frequency domains, the exact dispersion relations and the exact mode profiles are required for a correct description of the spectra not only when mode hybridization is present in the range or near the range of frequencies and wavevector accessed by the experiment. Our examples of microfocused BLS spectra are handy references that can be used as interpretation guidelines for BLS spectra recorded on a broader range of materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Multiple three-magnon splittings in bismuth yttrium iron garnet nanostructures

We experimentally demonstrate the generation of multiple three-magnon splitting processes in an in-plane magnetized submicron Bi-YIG disk using micro-focused Brillouin light scattering. The low magnetic damping and strong magneto-optical response of BiYIG enable the detection of nonlinear spin-wave interactions at low threshold powers. By tuning the in-plane static magnetic field, excitation frequency, and power, we observe the generation of three pairs of secondary modes symmetrically distributed around half the excitation frequency. Time-resolved BLS measurements present temporal dynamics and threshold behavior associated with the successive activation of three-magnon pairs.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Experimental determination and micromagnetic analysis of spin wave modes in cylindrical nanowires

We report an experimental study of spin wave modes in individual cylindrical nanowires, a textbook situation of confined spin waves in 3D nanomagnetism. We observe discrete modes of thermal spin waves with micro-Brillouin light scattering, whose frequencies $f$ shift to higher values as the applied longitudinal induction magnetic field $B_z$ increases. Micromagnetic simulations allowed us to associate every $f(B_z)$ curve to a given spatial mode, labeled with radial and azimuthal indices $\ell$ and $m$.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Method of analysis of the spectra obtained by microfocused Brillouin light scattering

Brillouin Light Scattering is a powerful technique to measure the microwave excitations present in a magnetic system. In microfocused mode, the light is focused on the sample using a microscope objective. This accelerates substantially the measurement but results in mixing the response of all microwave excitations into a single spectrum, such that modeling is required to disentangle the contribution of each spin wave. By assuming that a spectrum collected in microfocused mode can be approximated by the sum of all back-scattering spectra that can be collected by the microscope objective, we develop a simple and direct way of interpreting spectra. The model is compared to experimental data collected on a 50 nm thick CoFeB magnetic film. The model allows the understanding of the influence of the optical properties of a sample, of the dispersion relation of the spin wave eigenexcitations and of their thickness profiles, as well as of their populations onto the magnitudes and the lineshapes of the characteristic features of a spectrum

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Spin waves involved in three-magnon splitting in synthetic antiferromagnets

An important nonlinear effect in magnonics is the 3-magnon splitting where a high frequency magnon splits into two magnons of lower frequencies. Here, we study the 3-magnon splitting in spin wave conduits made from synthetic antiferromagnets. By combining inductive excitation, inductive detection, Brillouin Light Scattering imaging of the spin waves and analytical modeling based on conservation laws, we elucidate the nature of the spin waves involved in this process. We show in particular that low order optical spin waves propagating along the conduit can split in doublets of non-degenerate acoustic spin waves that have a standing wave character in the confined direction and unsymmetrical wavevectors in the direction of the spin wave conduit. Generally, several splitting channels run in parallel. The rules governing the three-magnon splitting and its interplay with the mode confinement have consequences for the applications in non-linear microwave signal processing based on spin waves.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Role of non-reciprocity in spin-wave channeling

The extent to which non-reciprocal waves can be guided in arbitrary directions is an interesting question. We address one aspect of this problem by studying the propagation of acoustic spin waves in a narrow physical conduit made of a synthetic antiferromagnet. Through a combination of Brillouin Light Scattering microscopy and modeling, we demonstrate that even when attempting to guide waves in the reciprocal direction of the material, the system still exhibits strong signatures of non-reciprocity. This includes the excitation of high wavevector waves in the direction perpendicular to the intended channeling, as well as energy transfer in directions that often neither aligns with the physical conduit nor with the symmetry axes of the magnetic properties. These findings have implications for the modeling of propagating wave spectroscopy in non-reciprocal materials and their potential applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Large frequency nonreciprocity of azimuthal spin wave modes in submicron vortex state disks

Vortex states in thin film disks host spin-wave modes that are geometrically quantized according to their radial and azimuthal indices. Previous studies have shown that hybridization between these modes and the vortex core results in a sizable frequency nonreciprocity between low-order clockwise and counterclockwise propagating azimuthal modes. Here, we present a computational study of these spin-wave modes in submicron disks in which the spatial extension of the vortex core becomes comparable to the wavelength of certain modes. In such cases, we find that the frequency nonreciprocity can be large even for higher order radial and azimuthal indices, reaching several GHz and comparable to the mode frequencies themselves.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Imaging non-collinear antiferromagnetic textures via single spin relaxometry

Antiferromagnetic materials are promising platforms for next-generation spintronics owing to their fast dynamics and high robustness against parasitic magnetic fields. However, nanoscale imaging of the magnetic order in such materials with zero net magnetization remains a major experimental challenge. Here we show that non-collinear antiferromagnetic spin textures can be imaged by probing the magnetic noise they locally produce via thermal populations of magnons. To this end, we perform nanoscale, all-optical relaxometry with a scanning quantum sensor based on a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) defect in diamond. Magnetic noise is detected through an increase of the spin relaxation rate of the NV defect, which results in an overall reduction of its photoluminescence signal under continuous laser illumination. As a proof-of-concept, the efficiency of the method is demonstrated by imaging various spin textures in synthetic antiferromagnets, including domain walls, spin spirals and antiferromagnetic skyrmions. This imaging procedure could be extended to a large class of intrinsic antiferromagnets and opens up new opportunities for studying the physics of localized spin wave modes for magnonics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Chaos in Magnetic Nanocontact Vortex Oscillators

We present an experimental study of spin-torque driven vortex self-oscillations in magnetic nanocontacts. We find that above a certain threshold in applied currents, the vortex gyration around the nanocontact is modulated by relaxation oscillations, which involve periodic reversals of the vortex core. This modulation leads to the appearance of commensurate but also more interestingly here, incommensurate states, which are characterized by devil's staircases in the modulation frequency. We use frequency- and time-domain measurements together with advanced time-series analyses to provide experimental evidence of chaos in incommensurate states of vortex oscillations, in agreement with theoretical predictions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Heterogeneous Memristive Devices Enabled by Magnetic Tunnel Junction Nanopillars Surrounded by Resistive Silicon Switches

Emerging non-volatile memories (NVMs) have currently attracted great interest for their potential applications in advanced low-power information storage and processing technologies. Conventional NVMs, such as magnetic random access memory (MRAM) and resistive random access memory (RRAM) suffer from limitations of low tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR), low access speed or finite endurance. NVMs with synergetic advantages are still highly desired for future computer architectures. Here, we report a heterogeneous memristive device composed of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) nanopillar surrounded by resistive silicon switches, named resistively enhanced MTJ (Re-MTJ), that may be utilized for novel memristive memories, enabling new functionalities that are inaccessible for conventional NVMs. The Re-MTJ device features a high ON/OFF ratio of >1000% and multilevel resistance behaviour by combining magnetic switching together with resistive switching mechanisms. The magnetic switching originates from the MTJ, while the resistive switching is induced by a point-switching filament process that is related to the mobile oxygen ions. Microscopic evidence of silicon aggregated as nanocrystals along the edges of the nanopillars verifies the synergetic mechanism of the heterogeneous memristive device. This device may provide new possibilities for advanced memristive memory and computing architectures, e.g., in-memory computing and neuromorphics.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2018

Nonreciprocal flexural dynamics of Dzyaloshinskii domain walls

We revisit the description of ferromagnetic domain wall dynamics through an extended one-dimensional model by allowing flexural distortions of the wall during its motion. This is taken into account by allowing the domain wall center and internal angle to be functions of position in the direction parallel to the wall. In the limit of small applied fields, this model accounts for the nonreciprocity in the propagation of wall modes and their stability in the presence of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and in-plane magnetic field.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in perpendicularly-magnetized Pt/Co/AlO$_x$ ultrathin films measured by Brillouin light spectroscopy

Spin waves in perpendicularly-magnetized Pt/Co/AlO$_x$/Pt ultrathin films with varying Co thicknesses (0.6-1.2 nm) have been studied with Brillouin light spectroscopy in the Damon-Eshbach geometry. The measurements reveal a pronounced nonreciprocal propagation, which increases with decreasing Co thicknesses. This nonreciprocity is attributed to an interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), which is significantly stronger than asymmetries resulting from surface anisotropies for such modes. Results are consistent with an interfacial DMI constant $D_s = -1.7 \pm 0.11$ pJ/m, which favors left-handed chiral spin structures. This suggests that such films below 1 nm in thickness should support novel chiral states like skyrmions.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Curved magnonic waveguides based on domain walls

The channeling of spin waves with domain walls in ultrathin ferromagnetic films is demonstrated theoretically and through micromagnetics simulations. It is shown that propagating excitations localized to the wall, which appear in the frequency gap of bulk spin wave modes, can be guided effectively in curved geometries and can propagate in close proximity to other channels with no perceptible scattering or loss in coherence. For Néel-type walls arising from an interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, the channeling is strongly nonreciprocal and group velocities can exceed 1 km/s in the long wavelength limit for certain propagation directions.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Modified current induced domain wall motion in GaMnAs nanowire

We report on current induced domain wall propagation in a patterned GaMnAs microwire with perpendicular magnetization. An unexpected slowing down of the propagation velocity has been found when the moving domain wall extends over only half of the width of the wire. This slowing down is related to the elongation of a longitudinal wall along the axis of the wire. By using an energy balance argument, the expected theoretical dependence of the velocity change has been calculated and compared with the experimental results. According to this, the energy associated to the longitudinal domain wall should change when a current passes through the wire. These results provide possible evidence of transverse spin diffusion along a longitudinal domain wall.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2010

Thermally driven spin injection from a ferromagnet into a non-magnetic metal

Creating, manipulating and detecting spin polarized carriers are the key elements of spin based electronics. Most practical devices use a perpendicular geometry in which the spin currents, describing the transport of spin angular momentum, are accompanied by charge currents. In recent years, new sources of pure spin currents, i.e., without charge currents, have been demonstrated and applied. In this paper, we demonstrate a conceptually new source of pure spin current driven by the flow of heat across a ferromagnetic/non-magnetic metal (FM/NM) interface. This spin current is generated because the Seebeck coefficient, which describes the generation of a voltage as a result of a temperature gradient, is spin dependent in a ferromagnet. For a detailed study of this new source of spins, it is measured in a non-local lateral geometry. We developed a 3D model that describes the heat, charge and spin transport in this geometry which allows us to quantify this process. We obtain a spin Seebeck coefficient for Permalloy of -3.8 microvolt/Kelvin demonstrating that thermally driven spin injection is a feasible alternative for electrical spin injection in, for example, spin transfer torque experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗