Electrical measurement of spin-wave interactions of proximate spin transfer nanooscillators

We have investigated the interaction mechanism between two nanocontact spin transfer oscillators made on the same magnetic spin valve multilayer. The oscillators phase lock when their precession frequencies are made similar, and a giant magnetoresistance signal is detectable at one contact due to precession at the other. Cutting the magnetic mesa between the contacts with a focused-ion beam modifies the contact outputs, eliminates the phase locking, and strongly attenuates the magnetoresistance coupling, which indicates that spin waves rather than magnetic fields are the primary interaction mechanism.