Samuel Mañas-Valero
Spin-waves in magnetic films with micrometer-scale wavelengths at gigahertz frequencies, are promising for wave-based information devices with new functionalities. Realizing this promise requires accurate control of both the static magnetization and the spin-wave spectrum in microfabricated magnetic structures [1, 2].
In this talk, I will introduce spin-wave sensing using color center magnetometry.[3] Color center magnetometry harnesses electronic spins associated with atomic defects in solid-state materials as sensors. However, two main limitations persist: the magnetic fields required for spin-wave control detune the sensor-spin detection frequency, and this frequency is further restricted by the color center nature. Here, we overcome these limitations by decoupling the sensor spins from the spin-wave control fields –selecting color centers with intrinsic anisotropy axes orthogonal to the film magnetization– and by using color centers in diamond and hexagonal boron nitride to operate at complementary frequencies. We demonstrate isofrequency imaging of field-controlled spin waves in a magnetic half-plane and show how intrinsic magnetic anisotropies trigger bistable spin textures that govern spin-wave transport at device edges.
Our results establish color center magnetometry as a versatile tool for advancing spin-wave technologies.
| Figure 1. a) Overview of the NV magnetometry setup. A scanning tip with a single Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centre scans across a permalloy film, which is located next to a gold stripline. The inset shows the NV centre. b) 2D spatial map of spin-waves in the Damon-Eshbach configuration. The upper panel indicates the averaged contrast along the Y-axis |
S.M.-V. acknowledges the Spanish MICINN (“Ramón y Cajal” Grant RYC2024-048264-I)
[1] Nat. Elec. 8, 106 (2025); Newton Newton 1, 1, 100018 (2025)
[2] Nature Communications 17, 379 (2026)