Ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic spin-wave dispersions in a dipole-exchange coupled bi-component magnonic crystal

Abstract

The magnon dispersion relations of the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases in a dipole-exchange coupled one-dimensional magnonic crystal comprising alternating cobalt and Permalloy nanostripes have been mapped by Brillouin spectroscopy. To elucidate the magnetization dynamics at the interfaces between stripes, the experimental data are analyzed based on a macroscopic theory under Hoffmann-type boundary conditions. Good agreement is obtained between theory and experiment for both the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases. Results suggest the existence of strong exchange coupling across the cobalt-Permalloy interfaces, comparable with the exchange coupling within each component material. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.