Coherent surface acoustic wave–spin wave interactions detected by micro-focused Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy

Abstract

We investigated the interaction of surface acoustic waves and spin waves with spatial resolution by micro-focused Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy in a Co40Fe40B20(10 nm) ferromagnetic layer on a LiNbO3-piezoelectric substrate. We experimentally demonstrate that the magnetoelastic excitation of magnons by phonons is coherent by studying the interference of light scattered off generated magnons and annihilated phonons. We find a pronounced spatial dependence of the phonon annihilation and magnon excitation, which we map as a function of the magnetic field. The coupling efficiency of the surface acoustic waves (SAWs) and the spin waves is characterized by a magnetic field-dependent decay of the SAWs amplitude.