Coupled-mode theory for the interaction between acoustic waves and spin waves in magnonic-phononic crystals: Propagating magnetoelastic waves

Abstract

We have investigated co-directional and contra-directional couplings between spin wave and acoustic wave in one-dimensional periodic structure (magphonic crystal). The system consists of two ferromagnetic layers alternating in space. We have taken into consideration materials commonly used in magnonics: yttrium iron garnet, CoFeB, permalloy, and cobalt. The coupled mode theory (CMT) formalism have been successfully implemented to describe magnetoelastic interaction as a periodic perturbation in the magphonic crystal. The results of CMT calculations have been verified by more rigorous simulations by frequency-domain plane wave method and time-domain finite element method. The presented resonant coupling in the magphonic crystal is an active in-space mechanism which spatially transfers energy between propagating spin and acoustic modes, thus creating propagating magnetoelastic wave. We have shown, that CMT analysis of the magnetoelastic coupling is an useful tool to optimize and design a spin wave - acoustic wave transducer based on a magphonic crystals. The effect of spin wave damping has been included to the model to discuss the efficiency of such a device. Our model shows that it is possible to obtain forward conversion of the acoustic wave to the spin wave in case of co-directional coupling and backward conversion in case of contra-directional coupling.