Topological Magnon-Phonon Hybrid Excitations in Two-Dimensional Ferromagnets with Tunable Chern Numbers

Nonreciprocal magnetoacoustic waves with out-of-plane phononic angular momenta

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) can carry phononic angular momentum, showing great potential as an energy-efficient way to control magnetism. Still, out-of-plane phononic angular momentum in SAW and its interaction with magnetism remain elusive. Here, we studied the SAW-induced magnetoacoustic waves and spin pumping in Ni-based films on LiNbO3 with selected SAW propagation direction. The crystal inversion asymmetry induces circularly polarized phonons with large out-of-plane angular momenta so that up to 60% of the SAW power attenuates nonreciprocally controlled by the out-of-plane magnetization component. The SAW propagation direction dependence of the nonreciprocity verifies the crystal origin of the phononic angular momentum, and a chiral spin pumping demonstrates that the circular polarization can control the spin current generation efficiency. These results provide an additional degree of freedom for the acoustic control of magnetism and open an avenue for applying circularly polarized phonons.

Hybrid magnon-phonon localization enhances function near ferroic glassy states

Ferroic materials on the verge of forming ferroic glasses exhibit heightened functionality that is often attributed to competing long- and short-range correlations. However, the physics underlying these enhancements is not well understood. The Ni45Co5Mn36.6In13.4 Heusler alloy is on the edge of forming both spin and strain glasses and exhibits magnetic field-induced shape memory and large magnetocaloric effects, making it a candidate for multicaloric cooling applications. We show using neutron scattering that localized magnon-phonon hybrid modes, which are inherently spread across reciprocal space, act as a bridge between phonons and magnons and result in substantial magnetic field-induced shifts in the phonons, triple the caloric response, and alter phase stability. We attribute these modes to the localization of phonons and magnons by antiphase boundaries coupled to magnetic domains. Because the interplay between short- and long-range correlations is common near ferroic glassy states, our work provides general insights on how glassiness enhances function.

Acoustomagnonic Spin Hall Effect in Honeycomb Antiferromagnets

The recently discovered Van der Waals antiferromagnets have suffered from the lack of a comprehensive method to study their magnetic properties. Here, we propose an ac intrinsic magnon spin Hall current driven by surface acoustic waves as a novel probe for such antiferromagnets. Our results pave the way towards mechanical detection and manipulation of the magnetic order in two-dimensional antiferromagnets. Furthermore, they will overcome the difficulties with weak magnetic responses inherent in the use of antiferromagnets and hence provide a building block for future antiferromagnetic spintronics.

Theoretical study of the nonlinear magnon-phonon coupling in CoF2

The coupling and interplay between magnon and phonon are important topics for spintronics and magnonics. In this work we studied the nonlinear magnon-phonon coupling in CoF2. First-principles calculations demonstrate that the antiferromagnetic resonance magnon drives a phonon with B1gcharacter; the oscillating driving force has a frequency twice of that of the magnon. Comparing with similar materials indicates a strong correlation between the strength of nonlinear magnon-phonon coupling and the orbital magnetic moment of the magnetic ion. This work pave the way for theoretical study of nonlinear magnon-phonon coupling.

Magnon Orbital Nernst Effect in Honeycomb Antiferromagnets without Spin-Orbit Coupling

Recently, topological responses of magnons have emerged as a central theme in magnetism and spintronics. However, resulting Hall responses are typically weak and infrequent, since, according to present understanding, they arise from effective spin-orbit couplings, which are weaker compared to the exchange energy. Here, by investigating transport properties of magnon orbital moments, we predict that the magnon orbital Nernst effect is an intrinsic characteristic of the honeycomb antiferromagnet and therefore, it manifests even in the absence of spin-orbit coupling. For the electric detection, we propose an experimental scheme based on the magnetoelectric effect. Our results break the conventional wisdom that the Hall transport of magnons requires spin-orbit coupling by predicting the magnon orbital Nernst effect in a system without it, which leads us to envision that our work initiates the intensive search for various magnon Hall effects in generic magnetic systems with no reliance on spin-orbit coupling.

Stacking Order Engineering of Two-Dimensional Materials and Device Applications

Stacking orders in 2D van der Waals (vdW) materials dictate the relative sliding (lateral displacement) and twisting (rotation) between atomically thin layers. By altering the stacking order, many new ferroic, strongly correlated and topological orderings emerge with exotic electrical, optical and magnetic properties. Thanks to the weak vdW interlayer bonding, such highly flexible and energy-efficient stacking order engineering has transformed the design of quantum properties in 2D vdW materials, unleashing the potential for miniaturized high-performance device applications in electronics, spintronics, photonics, and surface chemistry. This Review provides a comprehensive overview of stacking order engineering in 2D vdW materials and their device applications, ranging from the typical fabrication and characterization methods to the novel physical properties and the emergent slidetronics and twistronics device prototyping. The main emphasis is on the critical role of stacking orders affecting the interlayer charge transfer, orbital coupling and flat band formation for the design of innovative materials with on-demand quantum properties and surface potentials. By demonstrating a correlation between the stacking configurations and device functionality, we highlight their implications for next-generation electronic, photonic and chemical energy conversion devices. We conclude with our perspective of this exciting field including challenges and opportunities for future stacking order engineering research.

Dissipative Spin-Wave Diode and Nonreciprocal Magnonic Amplifier

We propose an experimentally feasible dissipative spin-wave diode comprising two magnetic layers coupled via a nonmagnetic spacer. We theoretically demonstrate that the spacer mediates not only coherent interactions but also dissipative coupling. Interestingly, an appropriately engineered dissipation engenders a nonreciprocal device response, facilitating the realization of a spin-wave diode. This diode permits wave propagation in one direction alone, given that the coherent Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction is balanced with the dissipative coupling. The polarity of the diode is determined by the sign of the DM interaction. Furthermore, we show that when the magnetic layers undergo incoherent pumping, the device operates as a unidirectional spin-wave amplifier. The amplifier gain is augmented by cascading multiple magnetic bilayers. By extending our model to a one-dimensional ring structure, we establish a connection between the physics of spin-wave amplification and non-Hermitian topology. Our proposal opens up a new avenue for harnessing inherent dissipation in spintronic applications.

Non-equilibrium dynamics of spin-lattice coupling

Quantifying the dynamics of normal modes and how they interact with other excitations is of central importance in condensed matter. Spin-lattice coupling is relevant to several sub-fields of condensed matter physics; examples include spintronics, high-Tc superconductivity, and topological materials. However, experimental approaches that can directly measure it are rare and incomplete. Here we use time-resolved X-ray diffraction to directly access the ultrafast motion of atoms and spins following the coherent excitation of an electromagnon in a multiferroic hexaferrite. One striking outcome is the different phase shifts relative to the driving field of the two different components. This phase shift provides insight into the excitation process of such a coupled mode. This direct observation of combined lattice and magnetization dynamics paves the way to access the mode-selective spin-lattice coupling strength, which remains a missing fundamental parameter for ultrafast control of magnetism and is relevant to a wide variety of materials.

Topological magnons driven by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in the centrosymmetric ferromagnet Mn5Ge3

The phase of the quantum-mechanical wave function can encode a topological structure with wide-ranging physical consequences, such as anomalous transport effects and the existence of edge states robust against perturbations. While this has been exhaustively demonstrated for electrons, properties associated with the elementary quasiparticles in magnetic materials are still underexplored. Here, we show theoretically and via inelastic neutron scattering experiments that the bulk ferromagnet Mn5Ge3 hosts gapped topological Dirac magnons. Although inversion symmetry prohibits a net Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in the unit cell, it is locally allowed and is responsible for the gap opening in the magnon spectrum. This gap is predicted and experimentally verified to close by rotating the magnetization away from the c-axis with an applied magnetic field. Hence, Mn5Ge3 realizes a gapped Dirac magnon material in three dimensions. Its tunability by chemical doping or by thin film nanostructuring defines an exciting new platform to explore and design topological magnons. More generally, our experimental route to verify and control the topological character of the magnons is applicable to bulk centrosymmetric hexagonal materials, which calls for systematic investigation.

Valley-Selective Phonon-Magnon Scattering in Magnetoelastic Superlattices

Phonons and magnons are engineered by periodic potential landscapes in phononic and magnonic crystals, and their combined studies may enable valley phonon transport tunable by the magnetic field. Through nonreciprocal surface acoustic wave transmission, we demonstrate valley-selective phonon-magnon scattering in magnetoelastic superlattices. The lattice symmetry and the out-of-plane magnetization component control the sign of nonreciprocity. The phonons in the valleys play a crucial role in generating nonreciprocal transmission by inducing circularly polarized strains that couple with the magnons. The transmission spectra show a nonreciprocity peak near a transmission gap, matching the phononic band structure. Our results open the way for manipulating valley phonon transport through periodically varying magnon-phonon coupling.

Direct observation of topological magnon polarons in a multiferroic material

Magnon polarons are novel elementary excitations possessing hybrid magnonic and phononic signatures, and are responsible for many exotic spintronic and magnonic phenomena. Despite long-term sustained experimental efforts in chasing for magnon polarons, direct spectroscopic evidence of their existence is hardly observed. Here, we report the direct observation of magnon polarons using neutron spectroscopy on a multiferroic Fe2Mo3O8 possessing strong magnon-phonon coupling. Specifically, below the magnetic ordering temperature, a gap opens at the nominal intersection of the original magnon and phonon bands, leading to two separated magnon-polaron bands. Each of the bands undergoes mixing, interconverting and reversing between its magnonic and phononic components. We attribute the formation of magnon polarons to the strong magnon-phonon coupling induced by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Intriguingly, we find that the band-inverted magnon polarons are topologically nontrivial. These results uncover exotic elementary excitations arising from the magnon-phonon coupling, and offer a new route to topological states by considering hybridizations between different types of fundamental excitations.

Chirality selective magnon-phonon hybridization and magnon-induced chiral phonons in a layered zigzag antiferromagnet

Two-dimensional (2D) magnetic systems possess versatile magnetic order and can host tunable magnons carrying spin angular momenta. Recent advances show angular momentum can also be carried by lattice vibrations in the form of chiral phonons. However, the interplay between magnons and chiral phonons as well as the details of chiral phonon formation in a magnetic system are yet to be explored. Here, we report the observation of magnon-induced chiral phonons and chirality selective magnon-phonon hybridization in a layered zigzag antiferromagnet (AFM) FePSe₃. With a combination of magneto-infrared and magneto-Raman spectroscopy, we observe chiral magnon polarons (chiMP), the new hybridized quasiparticles, at zero magnetic field. The hybridization gap reaches 0.25 meV and survives down to the quadrilayer limit. Via first principle calculations, we uncover a coherent coupling between AFM magnons and chiral phonons with parallel angular momenta, which arises from the underlying phonon and space group symmetries. This coupling lifts the chiral phonon degeneracy and gives rise to an unusual Raman circular polarization of the chiMP branches. The observation of coherent chiral spin-lattice excitations at zero magnetic field paves the way for angular momentum-based hybrid phononic and magnonic devices.

Nonequilibrium Green's function method for phonon heat transport in quantum system

Phonon heat transport property in quantum devices is of great interesting since it presents significant quantum behaviors. In the past few decades, great efforts have been devoted to establish the theoretical method for phonon heat transport simulation in nanostructures. However, modeling phonon heat transport from wavelike coherent regime to particlelike incoherent regime remains a challenging task. The widely adopted theoretical approach, such as molecular dynamics, semiclassical Boltzmann transport equation, captures quantum mechanical effects within different degrees of approximation. Among them, Non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method has attracted wide attention, as its ability to perform full quantum simulation including many-body interactions. In this review, we summarized recent theoretical advances of phonon NEGF method and the applications on the numerical simulation for phonon heat transport in nanostructures. At last, the challenges of numerical simulation are discussed.

Anomalous Thermal Hall Effect in an Insulating van der Waals Magnet

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) magnets have been a fertile playground for the discovery and exploration of physical phenomena and new physics. In this Letter, we report the observation of an anomalous thermal Hall effect (THE) with κ_{xy}∼1×10^{-2}  W K^{-1} m^{-1} in an insulating van der Waals ferromagnet VI_{3}. The thermal Hall signal persists in the absence of an external magnetic field and flips sign upon the switching of the magnetization. In combination with theoretical calculations, we show that VI_{3} exhibits a dual nature of the THE, i.e., dominated by topological magnons hosted by the ferromagnetic honeycomb lattice at higher temperatures and by phonons induced by the magnon-phonon coupling at lower temperatures. Our results not only position VI_{3} as the first ferromagnetic system to investigate both anomalous magnon and phonon THEs, but also render it as a potential platform for spintronics-magnonics applications.

Topological Phase Transitions of Dirac Magnons in Honeycomb Ferromagnets

The study of the magnonic thermal Hall effect in magnets with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) has recently drawn attention because of the underlying topology. Topological phase transitions may arise when there exist two or more distinct topological phases, and they are often revealed by a gap-closing phenomenon. In this work, we consider the magnons in honeycomb ferromagnets described by a Heisenberg Hamiltonian containing both an out-of-plane DMI and a Zeeman interaction. We demonstrate that the magnonic system exhibits temperature (or magnetic field) driven topological phase transitions due to magnon-magnon interactions. Specifically, when the temperature increases, the magnonic energy gap at Dirac points closes and reopens at a critical temperature, T_{c}. By showing that the Chern numbers of the magnonic bands are distinct above and below T_{c}, we confirm that the gap-closing phenomenon is indeed a signature for the topological phase transitions. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that the thermal Hall conductivity in the magnonic system exhibits a sign reversal at T_{c}, which can serve as an experimental probe of its topological nature. Our theory predicts that in CrI_{3} such a phenomenon exists and is experimentally accessible.

Direct Observation of Magnon-Phonon Strong Coupling in Two-Dimensional Antiferromagnet at High Magnetic Fields

We report the direct observation of strong coupling between magnons and phonons in a two-dimensional antiferromagnetic semiconductor FePS_{3}, via magneto-Raman spectroscopy at magnetic fields up to 30 Tesla. A Raman-active magnon at 121  cm^{-1} is identified through Zeeman splitting in an applied magnetic field. At a field-driven resonance with a nearby phonon mode, a hybridized magnon-phonon quasiparticle is formed due to strong coupling between the two modes. We develop a microscopic model of the strong coupling in the two-dimensional magnetic lattice, which enables us to elucidate the nature of the emergent quasiparticle. Our polarized Raman results directly show that the magnons transfer their spin angular momentum to the phonons and generate phonon spin through the strong coupling.

SU(3) Topology of Magnon-Phonon Hybridization in 2D Antiferromagnets

Magnon-phonon hybrid excitations are studied theoretically in a two-dimensional antiferromagnet with an easy axis normal to the plane. We show that two magnon bands and one phonon band are intertwined by the magnetoelastic coupling through a nontrivial SU(3) topology, which can be intuitively perceived by identifying a skyrmion structure in the momentum space. Our results are insensitive to lattice details and generally applicable to two-dimensional antiferromagnets. We show this by developing a continuum theory as the long-wavelength approximation to the tight-binding model. The theoretical results can be probed by measuring the thermal Hall conductance as a function of the temperature and the magnetic field. We envision that the magnetoelastic coupling in antiferromagnets can be a promising venue in search of various topological excitations, which cannot be found in magnetic or elastic models alone.

Thermal Hall Effect, Spin Nernst Effect, and Spin Density Induced by a Thermal Gradient in Collinear Ferrimagnets from Magnon-Phonon Interaction

We theoretically study the intrinsic thermal Hall and spin Nernst effect in collinear ferrimagnets on a honeycomb lattice with broken inversion symmetry. The broken inversion symmetry allows in-plane Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction between the nearest neighbors, which does not affect the linear spin wave theory. However, the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction induces large Berry curvature in the magnetoelastic excitations through the magnon-phonon interaction (MPI) to produce thermal Hall current. Furthermore, the magnetoelastic excitations transport spin, which is inherited from the magnons. Therefore, spin Nernst current accompanies the thermal Hall current. Because the MPI does not conserve the spin, we examine the spatial distribution of spin induced by a thermal gradient in the system having a stripe geometry. We find that spin is accumulated at the edges, reflecting the spin Nernst current. We also find that the total spin of the system-and, therefore, the magnetization-is changed, because of the thermal gradient and MPI.