title: Direct observation of isolated Damon-Eshbach and backward volume spin-wave packets in ferromagnetic microstripes.
abstract: The analysis of isolated spin-wave packets is crucial for the understanding of magnetic transport phenomena and is particularly interesting for applications in spintronic and magnonic devices, where isolated spin-wave packets implement an information processing scheme with negligible residual heat loss. We have captured microscale magnetization dynamics of single spin-wave packets in metallic ferromagnets in space and time. Using an optically driven high-current picosecond pulse source in combination with time-resolved scanning Kerr microscopy probed by femtosecond laser pulses, we demonstrate phase-sensitive real-space observation of spin-wave packets in confined permalloy (Ni80Fe20) microstripes. Impulsive excitation permits extraction of the dynamical parameters, i.e. phase- and group velocities, frequencies and wave vectors. In addition to well-established Damon-Eshbach modes our study reveals waves with counterpropagating group- and phase-velocities. Such unusual spin-wave motion is expected for backward volume modes where the phase fronts approach the excitation volume rather than emerging out of it due to the negative slope of the dispersion relation. These modes are difficult to excite and observe directly but feature analogies to negative refractive index materials, thus enabling model studies of wave propagation inside metamaterials.
authors.affiliation: The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging (CUI), Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany.|Center for Optical Quantum Technologies (ZOQ), University of Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wessels
authors.affiliation: Institut für Nanostruktur- und Festkörperphysik (INF), University of Hamburg, Jungiusstraße 11, 20355 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.affiliation: Institut für Nanostruktur- und Festkörperphysik (INF), University of Hamburg, Jungiusstraße 11, 20355 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan-Niklas
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Tödt
authors.affiliation: The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging (CUI), Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany.|Institut für Experimentalphysik, University of Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wieland
authors.affiliation: The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging (CUI), Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany.|Institut für Nanostruktur- und Festkörperphysik (INF), University of Hamburg, Jungiusstraße 11, 20355 Hamburg, Germany.|Max-Planck-Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.affiliation: The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging (CUI), Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany.|Center for Optical Quantum Technologies (ZOQ), University of Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany.|Institut für Experimentalphysik, University of Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drescher