arXiv subjects

Pietro Gambardella

Publications and source records attributed to Pietro Gambardella.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Model of the magnon Kerr effect in a highly anisotropic ferromagnet

The magnon Kerr effect is a nonlinear phenomenon that occurs universally in any ferromagnet with finite magnetic anisotropy. It manifests itself as a magnon population-dependent change in the magnon dispersion relation. Here, we derive the Hamiltonian for the magnon Kerr effect for a thin film with uniaxial anisotropy. We consider the external field, parallel, perpendicular, and at an intermediate angle to the anisotropy axis, and determine the Kerr coefficient in each case. We show how the nonlinearity scales for different magnetic materials as a function of magnon frequency and magnetic sample volume. Moreover, we derive the equations of motion for a hybrid cavity-magnon system with such thin-film magnon Kerr nonlinearity, to obtain populations of photons and magnons, and scattering matrix terms for the microwave transmission of the cavity, relevant for experimental observations.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Challenges in orbital current-driven domain wall motion in light metal/ferrimagnet heterostructures

Recent advances in spintronics suggest that orbital Hall currents generated by charge injection in light metals can provide nonequilibrium angular momentum without relying on strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Here, we examine whether such orbital currents can drive domain wall (DW) motion in an amorphous ferrimagnetic alloy, Gd$_{25}$(Fe$_{9}$Co$_{1}$)$_{75}$ (GFC), where the rare-earth sublattice offers strong SOC for orbital-to-spin conversion. We compare three representative heterostructures: Pt/GFC as a spin Hall reference, light-metal (Mn or Ti)/GFC for direct orbital-current injection, and light-metal/Pt/GFC incorporating an ultrathin Pt layer for orbital-to-spin conversion. Whereas Pt/GFC exhibits robust and reproducible spin-orbit-torque-driven DW motion, no current-driven DW motion is detected in Mn/GFC or Ti/GFC. Second-harmonic Hall measurements nevertheless reveal finite damping-like torques in both Mn/GFC and Ti/GFC, demonstrating that angular-momentum transfer into GFC does occur but is far weaker than in Pt/GFC. Inserting a 1-nm-thick Pt conversion layer strongly enhances the damping-like torque and restores DW motion. Thickness-dependent analysis further shows that DW mobility and depinning thresholds correlate with the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and domain-wall width, highlighting weak torque conversion and insufficient interfacial stabilization of chiral DWs as key challenges for orbital-driven DW motion in light-metal/ferrimagnet heterostructures.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Direct Observation of Antimagnons with Inverted Dispersion

We report direct spectroscopic evidence of antimagnons, i.e., negative-energy spin waves identified by their signature inverted dispersion and left-handed precession with Brillouin light scattering (BLS) spectroscopy. We investigate an ultrathin BiYIG film with a perpendicular magnetized anisotropy that compensates the demagnetizing field. By injecting a spin-orbit torque, the magnetization is driven into auto-oscillation and eventually into a non-equilibrium reversed state above a secondary current threshold ($\sim$1.2$\times$10$^7$~A/cm$^2$). The dispersion is measured by wavevector-resolved BLS and exhibits a sharp change from an upward dispersion to a downward one, in agreement with theoretical predictions and micromagnetic simulations. Around the threshold current, we observe the coexistence of conventional magnons and antimagnons. Our work establishes antimagnons with inverted dispersion and is a first step towards exploring novel phenomena and applications due to magnon-antimagnon coupling, such as magnon amplification and magnon-antimagnon entanglement, which are part of the emerging field of antimagnonics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Charge-to-spin conversion in epitaxial and polycrystalline Bi and Bi/Ag layers

Bi is predicted to be an efficient generator of spin-orbit torques (SOTs), with charge-to-spin conversion efficiency comparable to those of prototypical heavy metals, such as Ta, W, and Pt. However, experimental reports provide widely scattered interconversion efficiencies, while the origin of the large conversion signal in Bi/Ag bilayers remains controversial. Here, we investigate charge-to-spin conversion in epitaxial and polycrystalline Bi-based magnetic heterostructures by measuring the damping-like SOT using magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry, complemented by structural and spectroscopic analyses and harmonic Hall resistance measurements. We show that inserting an Ag spacer between Bi(001) and metallic ferromagnets (FeCo or Ni) enhances the SOT efficiency by more than one order of magnitude, reaching an effective spin Hall conductivity of approximately $2 \times 10^5 (\hbar/2e)$ S/m, in excellent agreement with theoretical expectations for bulk Bi. This enhancement can be consistently explained by the preservation of the structural and chemical integrity of Bi, otherwise compromised by the direct deposition of a ferromagnetic overlayer, rather than by Rashba spin-orbit coupling at the Bi/Ag interface. Comparative studies across epitaxial, polycrystalline, and intentionally surface-oxidized Bi films, beyond oxygen doses known to destroy Bi(001) surface states, reveal that structural disorder has a negative impact on the SOT efficiency and indicate a dominant bulk contribution to spin-current generation in Bi/Ag heterostructures, yielding an effective Bi spin Hall angle of approximately 1. By establishing a direct correlation between atomic-scale integrity and charge-to-spin conversion, this study provides design principles to improve the reliability of Bi-based SOT devices and offers a robust framework for interpreting spin-charge interconversion in Bi and Bi/Ag systems.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Disambiguating electrical detection of magnetization dynamics in magnetic insulators

Electrical detection of magnetization dynamics in magnetic insulators underpins both fundamental studies of magnon transport and the development of low-loss magnonic devices. In heavy-metal/magnetic-insulator heterostructures, spin pumping and spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance (ST-FMR) are widely used for this purpose and are often treated separately in different measurement geometries. In practice, the competition between these two effects gives rise to electrical voltage signals of opposite signs, which can lead to ambiguous interpretations of the underlying physics. Here, we show how to disambiguate their respective contributions and provide a framework for interpreting experiments involving microwave excitation of magnetic insulators and detection of magnetization dynamics via spin-charge conversion in heavy metals. We systematically investigate spin pumping and ST-FMR in nonlocal and local devices using Pt-capped thin films of thulium and bismuth-yttrium iron garnets. We show how spin-wave character, magnetic dissipation, magnetic field orientation and device geometry govern the sign and magnitude of the resulting signals. In several cases, the voltage generated by microwave excitation changes sign between an out-of-plane or in-plane magnetic configuration. We disentangle a contribution due to spin pumping, induced by exponentially decaying propagating spin waves, and a weakly distance-dependent contribution from ST-FMR, remotely induced by inductive coupling. We show that both the spin wave excitation profile across the film thickness and magnetic damping largely determine which of the two contributions dominates. Hence, the sign of the electrical signal cannot be uniquely assigned to the chirality of the magnon modes.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Coherent and Dissipative Spin Torques in Quantum Dots: A Unified Framework for Quantum Spin Dynamics

The manipulation of single spins through spin-polarized tunneling opens new routes for quantum control at the atomic scale. We present a theoretical framework describing spin-transfer, spin torques and spin resonance in molecular quantum dots weakly coupled to magnetic electrodes. By deriving a Lindblad master equation from microscopic tunneling processes, we capture both coherent exchange interactions and dissipative spin torque effects within a unified approach. We analyze how charge transport through localized orbitals influences spin dynamics and show that modulating the tunneling rates in time can induce electron spin resonance. This framework is further extended to coupled spin systems, revealing how spin coherence and entanglement respond to local spin torques and highlighting sources of transport-driven decoherence. Our results provide a general model to interpret spin-resolved tunneling experiments and extend classical spin torque concepts into the quantum regime.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

High-mobility inertial domain walls driven by spin-transfer torque in a ferrimagnetic spinel oxide

Efficient electrical manipulation of domain walls is key to developing magnetic devices with fast switching capabilities and low energy consumption. Here we demonstrate Bloch-type domain wall velocities exceeding 1 km s$^{-1}$ in the single-layer ferrimagnetic spinel oxide NiCo$_2$O$_4$ induced by spin-transfer torque at a current density of $2 \times 10^{11}$ A m$^{-2}$. This exceptional domain wall mobility is attributed to the combination of giant nonadiabatic spin-transfer torque, low magnetization, and high spin polarization. Additionally, we report a pronounced domain wall inertia effect in this ferrimagnet due to the large nonadiabaticity of the torque. The characteristic time for domain wall acceleration and deceleration is $\sim 1$ ns, shorter than that reported for typical ferromagnets. Our findings highlight the potential of spinel oxides as a promising platform for engineering high-performance domain wall devices that take advantage of ultrafast ferrimagnetic dynamics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Coherent Microwave Driving of Domain Wall Depinning in a Ferrimagnetic Garnet

Coherent control of domain wall dynamics offers a route to fast manipulation of magnetic textures beyond thermally activated motion. We demonstrate resonant excitation of linear and nonlinear dynamics of a pinned domain wall in a ferrimagnetic garnet thin film driven by a microwave field. Using scanning nitrogen-vacancy magnetometry and nonlocal spin-pumping measurements, we identify a low-frequency mode inside the magnon gap, originating from the localized oscillatory motion of a domain wall across a pinning line defined by a Pt stripline. Upon increasing the microwave drive into the nonlinear regime, this mode enables domain wall depinning at reduced external magnetic fields. Micromagnetic simulations reveal a progression from localized oscillations to partial relocation between pinning sites and, ultimately, complete escape from the pinning region with increasing driving power. These results establish resonant excitation of domain walls at engineered pinning sites as a mechanism for manipulating magnetic textures via localized nonlinear dynamics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Loop-gap resonators achieving strong magnon-photon coupling in magnetic insulator thin films

Magnon-photon hybrid systems consisting of a three-dimensional electromagnetic resonator and a bulk magnetic insulator constitute the standard experimental platform in cavity magnonics. Here, we demonstrate a modular loop-gap resonator design optimized to couple with thin films of magnetic insulators. We achieve the strong-coupling regime using this loop-gap resonator coupled to a 75~nm-thick epitaxial film of yttrium iron garnet at room temperature. We further show how to perform field-differential spectroscopy of the hybrid magnon-photon system, which eliminates the unwanted signal from other loop-gap modes uncoupled to the magnetic film. In addition to the uniform ferromagnetic resonance mode, the loop-gap resonator enables an hybridization with the standing spin-wave modes forming across the thickness of the film. Our approach unlocks the use of epitaxial films and multilayers of magnetic insulators to tune the magnon band structure in cavity magnonics experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Magnon Kerr effect in a magnetic thin film strongly coupled to a microwave resonator

Cavity magnonics investigates hybrid systems where magnons interact coherently with photons, providing a platform to harness light-matter interaction in magnetic materials. Progress in this field hinges on achieving stronger and tunable nonlinear effects, which are essential for controlling magnon dynamics and frequency conversion. Here, we demonstrate the magnon Kerr effect in an anisotropic magnonic system comprising a 200~nm-thick yttrium iron garnet film strongly coupled to a three-dimensional microwave resonator. The strong shape anisotropy significantly enhances the magnon Kerr effect compared to a sphere of equivalent volume, while the cavity enables sensitive probing of magnetization dynamics. We demonstrate continuous tunability of the magnitude and sign of the Kerr shift by controlling the static orientation of the magnetization. Input-output modeling of the magnon-photon interaction provides a consistent description of our system and Kerr coefficients matching the experimental results. Our findings demonstrate a scalable approach to enhancing Kerr anharmonicity in hybrid magnon-photon systems while preserving strong coupling.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Dynamical Stabilization of Inverted Magnetization and Antimagnons by Spin Injection in an Extended Magnetic System

Dynamical perturbations can modify the energy landscape of a physical system, such that unstable equilibrium configurations become stable when subject to an external drive. The magnetic analog of such dynamical stabilization corresponds to saturation of the magnetization against an external field. Here we report dynamical stabilization of the magnetization in thin film bismuth-substituted yttrium iron garnet by spin current injection from an adjacent Pt layer. Magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements demonstrate magnetization reversal against magnetic fields up to 3000 times larger than the film's coercivity once the spin injection surpasses a critical threshold associated with negative damping. Micromagnetic simulations reveal that this process is mediated by the excitation of a large population of incoherent magnons with non-zero wave vector, leading to a transient shortening and subsequent stabilization of the inverted magnetization. The elementary excitations of the high-energy inverted magnetization state are shown to be antimagnons, quasi-particles carrying opposite energy and spin relative to magnons. Our results further reveal how the system's size and minimization of nonlinear magnon scattering processes play a key role in dynamical stabilization, opening new avenues for magnetic state control beyond conventional magnetization switching. Dissipation-driven phase transitions in large-area magnetic systems provide a solid-state platform to study magnonic analogs of relativistic phenomena, such as Klein tunneling and black holes, as well as spin-wave amplification and lasing.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Ultrathin bismuth-yttrium iron garnet films with tunable magnetic anisotropy

We report on the epitaxial growth of nm-thick films of bismuth-substituted yttrium iron garnet (BiYIG) by high-temperature off-axis radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. We demonstrate accurate control of the magnetic properties by tuning of the sputtering parameters and epitaxial strain on various (111)-oriented garnet substrates. BiYIG films with up to -0.80\% lattice mismatch with the substrate remain fully strained up to 60~nm-thick, maintaining a high crystalline quality. Transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirm coherent epitaxial growth, the absence of defects, and limited interdiffusion at the BiYIG/substrate interface. Varying the tensile or compressive strain between -0.80\% and +0.56\% in BiYIG allows for accurate compensation of the total magnetic anisotropy through magneto-elastic coupling. The effective magnetic anisotropy of sputtered BiYIG films can be further tuned via the off-axis deposition angle and the oxygen flow during growth, which determine the cation stoichiometry. Under optimized growth conditions, a ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) linewidth of 1~mT at 10~GHz is reliably obtained even for thicknesses as low as 10~nm. We also report small FMR linewidths in ultrathin (2-5~nm) BiYIG films grown on diamagnetic substrate yttrium scandium gallium garnet. These findings highlight the promise of low-damping, strain-engineered nm-thick BiYIG films for implementing advanced functionalities in spin-orbitronic and magnonic devices. Specifically, the magnetic-anisotropy compensation and low damping enable large cone-angle magnetization dynamics immune to magnon-magnon nonlinear scattering.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Generating unconventional spin-orbit torques with patterned phase gradients in tungsten thin films

A key aim in spintronics is to achieve current-induced magnetization switching via spin-orbit torques without external magnetic fields. For this, the focus of recent work has been on introducing controlled lateral gradients across ferromagnet/heavy-metal devices, giving variations in thickness, composition, or interface quality. However, the small gradients achievable with common growth techniques limit both the impact of this approach and understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms. Here, spin-orbit torques are patterned on a mesoscopic length scale in tungsten thin films using direct-write laser annealing. Through transmission electron microscopy, resistivity, and second harmonic measurements, the continuous transformation of the crystalline phase of W films from the highly spin-orbit coupled, high resistivity $β$ phase to the minimally spin-orbit coupled, low resistivity $α$ phase is tracked with increasing laser fluence. Gradients with different steepness are patterned in the tungsten phase to create spin-orbit torque channels and, when interfaced with CoFeB, tungsten wires with a sufficiently strong gradient can switch the magnetization without an applied magnetic field. Therefore, exploiting the unique microstructure of mixed-phase W allows precise control of the local electronic current density and direction, as well as local spin-orbit torque efficiency, providing a new avenue for the design of efficient spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Acoustic orbital Hall effect and orbital pumping in light-metal-ferromagnet bilayers

Orbital currents provide a new degree of freedom for controlling magnetism, yet their interaction with lattice dynamics remains largely unexplored. Here we report a systematic investigation of the acoustic orbital Hall effect in light metals such as Ti and Cr, where surface acoustic waves generate orbital currents through phonon-orbital coupling. The acoustic orbital current in Ti exhibits higher efficiency and longer diffusion length compared to the acoustic spin current in Pt. The sign and magnitude of the rectified acoustic voltages in nonmagnetic (Ti, Cr)/ferromagnetic (Ni, Co, Fe$_x$Co$_{1-x}$) bilayers are determined by the product of orbital-to-spin conversion and magnetoelastic coupling efficiencies of the ferromagnet. Additionally, we find evidence for acoustic orbital pumping, whereby the excitation of ferromagnetic resonance by surface acoustic waves injects an orbital current from the ferromagnet into the nonmagnet. These results establish lattice dynamics as an efficient driver of orbital transport, opening opportunities for low-dissipation orbitronic devices that harness and sense phonons.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Real-time dynamics of VCMA-assisted switching of magnetic tunnel junctions

Voltage control of magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) induced by charge accumulation is typically considered as an ultrafast process, enabling energy-efficient and high-speed magnetization switching in spintronic devices. In this work, we investigate the real-time dynamics of VCMA-assisted switching of magnetic tunnel junctions via relaxation in a magnetic field. We show that device-dependent charging effects and magnetic granularity in the free layer limit the switching speed at applied voltages close to the critical switching threshold. Increasing the voltage or the applied magnetic field reduces the incubation delay and total switching time to below a few ns. Micromagnetic simulations incorporating the finite charging times of the tunnel junction and the granularity of the magnetic film reproduce the experimental results, providing critical insights into optimizing VCMA-driven magnetization control for memory and logic applications.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2025

Intermediate diffusive-ballistic electron conduction around mesoscopic defects in graphene

Non-diffusive effects in charge transport become relevant as device sizes and features become comparable to the electronic mean free path. As a model system, we investigate the electric transport around mesoscopic defects in graphene with scanning tunneling potentiometry. Diffusive and ballistic contributions to the scattering dipole are probed by simultaneously resolving the nanoscale topography of pits in the graphene layer and measuring the local electrochemical potential in the surrounding area. We find evidence of transport in the intermediate regime between the diffusive and ballistic limits, such that the magnitude of the electrochemical potential around the defects is substantially underestimated by diffusive models. Our experiments and modeling are supported by lattice Boltzmann simulations, which highlight the importance of the ratio between defect size and mean free path in the intermediate transport regime. The magnitude of the scattering dipole depends on the shape of the pits in both the ballistic and diffusive transport modes. Remarkably, ballistic contributions to the electron transport are found at feature sizes larger than the mean free path and rapidly increase at lower sizes, having a noticeable impact already at mesoscopic length scales.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Observation and Control of Chiral Spin Frustration in BiYIG Thin Films

Chiral interactions within magnetic layers stabilize the formation of noncollinear spin textures, which can be leveraged to design devices with tailored magnetization dynamics. Here, we introduce chiral spin frustration in which energetically degenerate magnetic states frustrate the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. We demonstrate magnon-driven switching of the chirally frustrated spin states in Bi-substituted yttrium iron garnet thin films. These states are defined by an in-plane macrospin neighboring two out-ofplane spins on either side with opposing chirality. Using scanning nitrogen-vacancy magnetometry and spin pumping, we identified four degenerate frustrated states and achieved their controllable switching via magnon spin torque. Crucially, the switching is unidirectional, with selectivity determined by the incoming magnon direction. This mechanism provides a powerful approach to manipulate frustrated spin states with magnons. Chiral spin frustration unlocks the geometry constraints of conventional frustration, and therefore opens new horizons for frustrated magnetism, paving the way for energy-efficient spintronic devices based on frustratio

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Lattice-tunable substituted iron garnets for low-temperature magnonics

The synthesis of nm-thick epitaxial films of iron garnets by physical vapor deposition has opened up exciting opportunities for the on-chip generation and processing of microwave signals encoded in magnons. However, iron garnet thin films suffer from demanding lattice-matching and stoichiometry requirements. Here a new approach to their synthesis is developed, enabling a precise and continuous tuning of iron garnet compositions based on the co-sputtering of binary oxides. By substituting a controlled proportion of iron with additional yttrium, Y$_{3}$(Y$_{x}$Fe$_{5-x}$)O$_{12}$ films of high crystalline quality are obtained, combining a widely tunable lattice parameter and excellent magnetization dynamics. This enables iron garnet thin films suited for cryogenic applications, which have long remained impractical due to microwave losses caused by paramagnetic garnet substrates. Low-temperature ferromagnetic resonance confirms the elimination of substrate paramagnetic losses for Y$_{3}$(Y$_{x}$Fe$_{5-x}$)O$_{12}$ films lattice-matched to Y$_{3}$Sc$_{2}$Ga$_{3}$O$_{12}$ (YSGG), a diamagnetic substrate. The Y$_{3}$(Y$_{x}$Fe$_{5-x}$)O$_{12}$ system can be matched to other substrates such as (Gd,Y)$_{3}$Sc$_{2}$Ga$_{3}$O$_{12}$. Bi-substituted films of (Bi$_{0.8}$Y$_{2.2}$)Fe$_{5}$O$_{12}$ also have ideal lattice matching to YSGG, demonstrating the versatility of this approach. This opens unprecedented options for cation substitutions in iron garnet films, offering a promising avenue to new properties and quantum magnonic devices operating in low-temperature environments.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗