Interference of coherent spin waves in micron-sized ferromagnetic waveguides

We present experimental observations of the interference of spin-wave modes propagating in opposite directions in micron-sized Ni81Fe19-waveguides. To monitor the local spin-wave intensity distribution and phase of the formed interference pattern, we use Brillouin light scattering microscopy. The two-dimensional spin-wave intensity map can be understood by considering the interference of several waveguide eigenmodes with different wavevectors quantized across the width of the stripe. The phase shows a transition from linear dependence on the space coordinate near the antennas characteristic for propagating waves to discrete values in the center region characteristic for standing waves. (C) 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim