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1. Spin dynamics in van der Waals magnetic systems

   Tang, Chunli; Mahdi, Alahmed M; Xiong, Y; Inman, J; McLaughlin, N; Zollitsch, C; Kim, TH; Du, CR; Kurebayashi, H; Santos, EJG; et al (August 2024, Physics reports)

   The discovery of atomic monolayer magnetic materials has stimulated intense research activities in the two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials community. The field is growing rapidly and there has been a large class of 2D vdW magnetic compounds with unique properties, which provides an ideal platform to study magnetism in the atomically thin limit. In parallel, based on tunneling magnetoresistance and magneto-optical effect in 2D vdW magnets and their heterostructures, emerging concepts of spintronic and optoelectronic applications such as spin tunnel field-effect transistors and spin-filtering devices are explored. While the magnetic ground state has been extensively investigated, reliable characterization and control of spin dynamics play a crucial role in designing ultrafast spintronic devices. Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) allows direct measurements of magnetic excitations, which provides insight into the key parameters of magnetic properties such as exchange interaction, magnetic anisotropy, gyromagnetic ratio, spin-orbit coupling, damping rate, and domain structure. In this review article, we present an overview of the essential progress in probing spin dynamics of 2D vdW magnets using FMR techniques. Given the dynamic nature of this field, we focus mainly on broadband FMR, optical FMR, and spin-torque FMR, and their applications in studying prototypical 2D vdW magnets. We conclude with the recent advances in laboratory- and synchrotron-based FMR techniques and their opportunities to broaden the horizon of research pathways into atomically thin magnets. 

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2. Quadrupolar magnetic excitations in an isotropic spin-1 antiferromagnet

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30065-5  

   Nag, A.; Nocera, A.; Agrestini, S.; Garcia-Fernandez, M.; Walters, A. C.; Cheong, Sang-Wook; Johnston, S.; Zhou, Ke-Jin (December 2022, Nature Communications)

   Abstract The microscopic origins of emergent behaviours in condensed matter systems are encoded in their excitations. In ordinary magnetic materials, single spin-flips give rise to collective dipolar magnetic excitations called magnons. Likewise, multiple spin-flips can give rise to multipolar magnetic excitations in magnetic materials with spin S ≥ 1. Unfortunately, since most experimental probes are governed by dipolar selection rules, collective multipolar excitations have generally remained elusive. For instance, only dipolar magnetic excitations have been observed in isotropic S = 1 Haldane spin systems. Here, we unveil a hidden quadrupolar constituent of the spin dynamics in antiferromagnetic S = 1 Haldane chain material Y 2 BaNiO 5 using Ni L 3 -edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering. Our results demonstrate that pure quadrupolar magnetic excitations can be probed without direct interactions with dipolar excitations or anisotropic perturbations. Originating from on-site double spin-flip processes, the quadrupolar magnetic excitations in Y 2 BaNiO 5 show a remarkable dual nature of collective dispersion. While one component propagates as non-interacting entities, the other behaves as a bound quadrupolar magnetic wave. This result highlights the rich and largely unexplored physics of higher-order magnetic excitations. 

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3. Quantum Stoner–Wohlfarth model of two-dimensional single-domain magnets

   https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0143593  

   Ibrahim, Essa M.; Zhang, Shufeng (April 2023, Journal of Applied Physics)

   The Stoner–Wohlfarth model is a classical model for magnetic hysteresis of single-domain magnets. For two-dimensional (2D) magnets at finite temperatures, the Stoner–Wohlfarth model must be extended to include intrinsic strong spin fluctuations. We predict several fundamentally different hysteresis properties between 2D and 3D magnets. The magnetization switching diagram known as the astroid figure in the conventional Stoner–Wohlfarth model becomes highly temperature dependent and asymmetric with respect to the transverse and longitudinal magnetic fields. Our results provide new insights into the spintronics applications based on 2D magnetic materials. 

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4. Sensing spin wave excitations by spin defects in few-layer-thick hexagonal boron nitride

   https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adk8495  

   Zhou, Jingcheng; Lu, Hanyi; Chen, Di; Huang, Mengqi; Yan, Gerald Q; Al-matouq, Faris; Chang, Jiu; Djugba, Dziga; Jiang, Zhigang; Wang, Hailong; et al (May 2024, Science Advances)

   Optically active spin defects in wide bandgap semiconductors serve as a local sensor of multiple degrees of freedom in a variety of “hard” and “soft” condensed matter systems. Taking advantage of the recent progress on quantum sensing using van der Waals (vdW) quantum materials, here we report direct measurements of spin waves excited in magnetic insulator Y₃Fe₅O₁₂(YIG) by boron vacancy $V_{\mathrm{B}}^{-}$spin defects contained in few-layer-thick hexagonal boron nitride nanoflakes. We show that the ferromagnetic resonance and parametric spin excitations can be effectively detected by $V_{\mathrm{B}}^{-}$spin defects under various experimental conditions through optically detected magnetic resonance measurements. The off-resonant dipole interaction between YIG magnons and $V_{\mathrm{B}}^{-}$spin defects is mediated by multi-magnon scattering processes, which may find relevant applications in a range of emerging quantum sensing, computing, and metrology technologies. Our results also highlight the opportunities offered by quantum spin defects in layered two-dimensional vdW materials for investigating local spin dynamic behaviors in magnetic solid-state matters. 

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5. Electronic Raman scattering in the 2D antiferromagnet NiPS ₃

   https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abl7707  

   Wang, Xingzhi; Cao, Jun; Li, Hua; Lu, Zhengguang; Cohen, Arielle; Haldar, Anubhab; Kitadai, Hikari; Tan, Qishuo; Burch, Kenneth S.; Smirnov, Dmitry; et al (January 2022, Science Advances)

   Correlated-electron systems have long been an important platform for various interesting phenomena and fundamental questions in condensed matter physics. As a pivotal process in these systems, d-d transitions have been suggested as a key factor toward realizing optical spin control in two-dimensional (2D) magnets. However, it remains unclear how d-d excitations behave in quasi-2D systems with strong electronic correlation and spin-charge coupling. Here, we present a systematic electronic Raman spectroscopy investigation on d-d transitions in a 2D antiferromagnet—NiPS 3 , from bulk to atomically thin samples. Two electronic Raman modes originating from the scattering of incident photons with d electrons in Ni 2+ ions are observed at ~1.0 eV. This electronic process persists down to trilayer flakes and exhibits insensitivity to the spin ordering of NiPS 3 . Our study demonstrates the utility of electronic Raman scattering in investigating the unique electronic structure and its coupling to magnetism in correlated 2D magnets. 

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