Magnonic crystals for data processing

Magnons (the quanta of spin waves) propagating in magnetic materials with wavelengths at the nanometer-scale and carrying information in the form of an angular momentum can be used as data carriers in next-generation, nano-sized low-loss information processing systems. In this respect, artificial magnetic materials with properties periodically varied in space, known as magnonic crystals, are especially promising for controlling and manipulating magnon currents. In this article, different approaches for the realization of static, reconfigurable, and dynamic magnonic crystals are presented along with a variety of novel wave phenomena discovered in these crystals. Special attention is devoted to the utilization of magnonic crystals for processing of analog and digital information.