Magnetic resonance imaging of spin-wave transport and interference in a magnetic insulator

Abstract: Spin waves - the elementary excitations of magnetic materials - are prime candidate signal carriers for low dissipation information processing. Being able to image coherent spin-wave transport is crucial for developing interference-based spin-wave devices. We introduce a platform for probing coherent spin waves based on magnetic resonance imaging with electron spins in diamond. Focusing on a thin-film magnetic insulator, we quantify spin-wave amplitudes, visualize the dispersion, and demonstrate time-domain measurements of spin-wave packets. We use our platform to study spin-wave interference, revealing uni-directional, autofocused spin-wave patterns with frequency-controlled numerical apertures. A theoretical analysis explains the patterns in terms of chiral spin-wave excitation and stray-field coupling to the sensor spins. These results pave the way for probing spin waves in atomically thin magnets, even when embedded between opaque materials.