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Magnon dynamics and nitrogen vacancy centers

Parallel pumping of magnons in inhomogeneous spin textures probed through NV spin relaxometry

Journal of Applied Physics (2024)

In this study, scientists studied tiny magnetic waves, called magnons, generated by a small, thin magnetic disk. Its magnetism is in a vortex state, curling around the core like water going down a drain.

When an outside magnetic field is applied to the disk in a particular direction, the magnon frequency and dynamics change depending on the outside magnetic field strength. At certain magnetic field strengths, when a magnetic frequency double that of the nitrogen vacancy (NV) center’s natural frequency was applied, the NV center’s spin relaxed more quickly.

Their work demonstrates that, under specific conditions, a magnon in a vortex mode can interact with an NV center, which opens possibilities for quantum sensing.

The paper’s authors are Jeremy Trimble, B. Gould, F. Joseph Heremans, S. S.-L. Zhang, David D. Awschalom and J. Berezovsky, who did their research at Case Western Reserve University, Pennsylvania State University, Argonne National Laboratory and University of Chicago.

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