Reversing the magnetization of 50-nm-wide ferromagnets by ultrashort magnons in thin-film yttrium iron garnet†

Spin waves (magnons) can enable neuromorphic computing by which one aims at overcoming limitations inherent to conventional electronics and the von Neumann architecture. Encoding magnon signal by reversing magnetization of a nanomagnetic memory bit is pivotal to realize such novel computing schemes efficiently. A magnonic neural network was recently proposed consisting of differently configured nanomagnets that control nonlinear magnon interference in an underlying yttrium iron garnet (YIG) film [Papp et al., Nat. Commun., 2021, 12, 6422]. In this study, we explore the nonvolatile encoding of magnon signals by switching the magnetization of periodic and aperiodic arrays (gratings) of Ni₈₁Fe₁₉ (Py) nanostripes with widths w between 50 nm and 200 nm. Integrating 50-nm-wide nanostripes with a coplanar waveguide, we excited magnons having a wavelength λ of ≈100 nm. At a small spin-precessional power of 11 nW, these ultrashort magnons switch the magnetization of 50-nm-wide Py nanostripes after they have propagated over 25 μm in YIG in an applied field. We also demonstrate the magnetization reversal of nanostripes patterned in an aperiodic sequence. We thereby show that the magnon-induced reversal happens regardless of the width and periodicity of the nanostripe gratings. Our study enlarges substantially the parameter regime for magnon-induced nanomagnet reversal on YIG and is important for realizing in-memory computing paradigms making use of magnons with ultrashort wavelengths at low power consumption.