Ferromagnetic films with magnon bandgap periodic structures: Magnon crystals

A new type of photonic crystals is proposed. The new crystals have a forbidden gap in the microwave spectrum of magnetostatic spin waves, and, by analogy with photonic crystals, they are called magnon crystals. Specimens of such crystals were fabricated on the basis of yttrium iron garnet films. The surfaces of ferromagnetic films containing two-dimensional etched hole structures were studied by atomic force and magnetic force magnetometry. The propagation of spin waves through the magnon crystals was investigated. (C) 2003 MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica.