Spin-wave magneto-ionics for reconfigurable electronics

ongoing

Spin waves are emerging as a promising medium for information processing. The potential of spintronics in information processing lies in its ability to offer higher speeds and lower power consumption compared to traditional electronic components. Spin waves could accelerate information processing and surpass the limits that transistor-based electronics are approaching. The successful demonstration of a spin-wave logic circuit would validate the feasibility of this technology and pave the way for its wider adoption. However, this technology would require a robust and efficient voltage control mechanism for spin waves which, so far, remains elusive. A promising new development in the field of magnetism is the voltage control of magnetic properties via ionic gating, an area referred to as magneto-ionics. Control of magnetism through reversible ion migration can be achieved with small voltages. When applied to magnonics, it sparks the possibility of controlling spin waves by voltages in on-chip logic devices, thereby setting the stage for high-frequency, energy-efficient, reconfigurable computing. Within this project, I will investigate voltage control of spin waves in low-loss yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films and waveguides by employing Li-ion gating in patterned all-solid-state structures. I will demonstrate two unique ionic gates, one that operates like a battery and provides robust spin-wave control for the programming of logic functions, and another that operates as a supercapacitor offering fast phase control for information processing. Upon successfully developing these control components, I will construct a voltage-controlled 2×2 magnonic coupler by integrating the battery-like gate into two proximal YIG waveguides. This coupler will act as a reconfigurable universal logic gate. Finally, I will integrate multiple voltage-programmable magnonic couplers and magneto-ionic phase shifters to create a programmable all-magnonic logic circuit.