Spin pumping with coherent elastic waves

The generation and detection of pure spin currents is an important topic for spintronic applications. Spin currents may be generated, e.g., via spin pumping. In this approach, a precessing magnetization relaxes via the emission of a spin current. Conventionally, electromagnetic waves, i.e. microwave photons, are used to drive the magnetization precession. We here show that a spin current can also be pumped by means of an acoustic wave, i.e. microwave phonons. In the experiments, coherent surface acoustic wave (SAW) phonons with a frequency of 1.55 GHz traverse a ferromagnetic thin film/normal metal (Co/Pt) bilayer. The SAW phonons drive the resonant magnetization precession via magnetoelastic coupling [1]. We use the inverse spin Hall voltage in the Pt film as a measure for the generated spin current and record its evolution as a function of time and external magnetic field magnitude and orientation. Our experiments show that a spin current is generated in the exclusive presence of a resonant elastic excitation. This establishes acoustic spin pumping as a resonant analogue to the spin Seebeck effect and opens intriguing perspectives for applications in, e.g., micromechanical resonators. \\[4pt] [1] M. Weiler \textit{et al.}, Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{106}, 117601 (2011)