Chemical potential of quasi-equilibrium magnon gas driven by pure spin current

We show experimentally that the spin current generated by the spin Hall effect drives the magnon gas in a ferromagnet into a quasi-equilibrium state that can be described by the Bose-Einstein statistics. The magnon population function is characterized either by an increased effective chemical potential or by a reduced effective temperature, depending on the spin current polarization. In the former case, the chemical potential can closely approach, at large driving currents, the lowest-energy magnon state, indicating the possibility of spin current-driven Bose-Einstein condensation

Faceting oscillations in nano-ferroelectrics

We observe periodic faceting of 8-nm diameter ferroelectric disks on a 10s time-scale when thin Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O-3 film is exposed to constant high-resolution transmission electron microscopy beams. The oscillation is between circular disk geometry and sharply faceted hexagons. The behavior is analogous to that of spin structure and magnetic domain wall velocity oscillations in permalloy [Bisig et al., Nat. Commun. 4, 2328 (2013)], involving overshoot and de-pinning from defects [Amann et al., J. Rheol. 57, 149-175 (2013)]

The Ginzburg-Landau model of Bose-Einstein condensation of magnons

We introduce a system of phenomenological equations for Bose-Einstein condensates of magnons in the one-dimensional setting. The nonlinearly coupled equations, written for amplitudes of the right-and left-traveling waves, combine basic features of the Gross-Pitaevskii and complex Ginzburg-Landau models. They include localized source terms, to represent the microwave magnon-pumping field. With the source represented by the $\delta$-functions, we find analytical solutions for symmetric localized states of the magnon condensates. We also predict the existence of asymmetric states with unequal amplitudes of the two components. Numerical simulations demonstrate that all analytically found solutions are stable. With the $\delta$-function terms replaced by broader sources, the simulations reveal a transition from the single-peak stationary symmetric states to multi-peak ones, generated by the modulational instability of extended nonlinear-wave patterns. In the simulations, symmetric initial conditions always converge to symmetric stationary patterns. On the other hand, asymmetric inputs may generate nonstationary asymmetric localized solutions, in the form of traveling or standing waves. Comparison with experimental results demonstrates that the phenomenological equations provide for a reasonably good model for the description of the spatiotemporal dynamics of magnon condensates.Comment: Physical Review B, in pres

Control of interlayer exchange coupling in Fe/Cr/Fe trilayers by ion beam irradiation

The manipulation of the antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling in the epitaxial Fe/Cr/Fe(001) trilayer system by moderate 5 keV He ion beam irradiation has been investigated experimentally. It is shown that even for irradiation with very low fluences (10^14 ions/cm^2) a drastic change in strength of the coupling appears. For thin Cr-spacers (below 0.6 - 0.7 nm) the coupling strength decreases with fluence, becoming ferromagnetic for fluences above (2x10^14 ions/cm^2). The effect is connected with the creation of magnetic bridges in the layered system due to atomic exchange events caused by the bombardment. For thicker Cr spacers (0.8 - 1.2 nm) an enhancement of the antiferromagnetic coupling strength is found. A possible explanation of the enhancement effect is given.Comment: Submitted to PR