Acoustic control of magnetism toward energy-efficient applications

The control of magnetism by acoustically induced strain has driven significant research activities, with the ultimate goal of pursuing novel, ultrafast, compact, and energy-efficient electronic and spintronic applications. Here, we aim to present for the first time a comprehensive review of this field, which has seen a surge of interest in recent years. We review fundamental understanding of magnetoelastic coupling phenomena and mechanisms, diverse experimental configurations, recent advances in modeling and microscopic tools to intuitively describe them, and the experimental and theoretical exploration of devices and technological innovations. These include acoustic spintronics, surface acoustic wave (SAW)-assisted spin transfer torque (STT) switching, SAW-assisted all-optical switching (AOS), SAW-driven spin textures (e.g., Skyrmions and domain walls), acoustic Terahertz emitters, SAW magnetic field sensors, magnetoelastic antenna, on-demand magnonic crystals, and so on. Focusing on the translation of many fundamental research breakthroughs into potential technological applications, we identify the key challenges and opportunities in the field, which we hope may motivate further research efforts of moving scientific discoveries toward real applications.