Spintronics, Magnonics, and Altermagnetism in Iron-Garnet and Oxide Thin Films
This research community investigates the fundamental physics and device-level control of electron spin in magnetic materials, focusing on how spin currents, spin waves, and magnetic order can be manipulated in thin films and heterostructures.
The work centers on yttrium iron garnet (YIG) and other rare-earth garnet thin films, which serve as low-damping media for spin-wave propagation and magnon transport. A dominant strand of research examines spin-orbit torque switching, spin Hall effects, and spin pumping in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic systems, often utilizing cobalt, iron, and bismuth-based compounds. Recent high-impact studies have shifted toward altermagnetism—a magnetic phase distinct from conventional ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism—investigating spin splitting in materials like ruthenium dioxide and chromium antimonide. The community also explores cavity magnonics, where microwave photons couple to magnetic excitations, and the structural engineering of garnet ceramics for enhanced microwave performance.
The community is most heavily concentrated in yttrium research, accounting for 5.6% of all tracked yttrium papers, and iron research, representing 2.7% of all tracked iron papers. Yttrium also contributes the highest absolute paper count within this group, with 2,748 papers.
The community comprises 14,685 papers, publishing primarily in the Journal of Applied Physics, Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, and Applied Physics Letters.
Recent work continues to focus on the characterization of altermagnetic spin splitting in oxide thin films, the development of all-electrically controlled spintronic devices in altermagnetic heterostructures, and the synthesis of co-doped yttrium iron garnet ceramics for improved microwave applications.