Magnetic domain walls as reconfigurable spin-wave nanochannels

Magnetic domain walls in a permalloy sample can be arranged to define waveguides for the transmission of information via magnons. In the research field of magnonics1,2,3,4,5,6,7, it is envisaged that spin waves will be used as information carriers, promoting operation based on their wave properties. However, the field still faces major challenges. To become fully competitive, novel schemes for energy-efficient control of spin-wave propagation in two dimensions have to be realized on much smaller length scales than used before. In this Letter, we address these challenges with the experimental realization of a novel approach to guide spin waves in reconfigurable, nano-sized magnonic waveguides. For this purpose, we make use of two inherent characteristics of magnetism: the non-volatility of magnetic remanence states and the nanometre dimensions of domain walls formed within these magnetic configurations. We present the experimental observation and micromagnetic simulations of spin-wave propagation inside nano-sized domain walls and realize a first step towards a reconfigurable domain-wall-based magnonic nanocircuitry.