Driving a magnetic texture by magnon currents

Abstract

Thermally induced spin dynamics in solids have sparked broad interest in both fundamental physics and spintronic applications. As theoretically proposed, thermally excited magnons created by temperature gradients can be used to manipulate spin textures such as topological magnetic solitons. However, so far, the effectiveness of such thermomagnonic torques remained a problem in practice. Here, the dynamics of magnetic vortex cores in thin ferromagnetic platelets driven by thermomagnonic torques are investigated using high-resolution Lorentz transmission electron microscopy. Large deflections of the magnetic vortex core transverse to the direction of the temperature gradient are observed. A generalized Thiele equation model is used to identify the magnitude of the contribution of the involved torques. Our results pave the way for the manipulation of magnetic domains on the nanoscale by thermomagnonic currents and provide insights into the interplay of temperature and spin.