spin wave

noun

, Physics.

1. a magnetic wave propagated through a crystal lattice by a collective excitation of the spin angular momentum of electrons.

spin wave

1. A wave propagated through a crystal lattice as a result of shifts in atomic magnetic fields associated with the spin angular momentum of electrons in the lattice.

Word History and Origins

Origin of spin wave¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

"What's special about YIG is that it propagates a magnetic spin wave," says Olsson, referring to the type of wave created in magnetic materials when electrons spin in a synchronized fashion.

From Science Daily

When exposed to a magnetic field, the magnetic spin wave generated by YIG changes frequency.

From Science Daily

"We did so by first developing an excellent magnetic insulator material called magnetic garnet film, which has low spin wave losses. We then periodically arranged small copper disks with diameters less than 1 mm on this film."

From Science Daily

Goto notes the novelty of their findings: "To date, there have been no experimental confirmations of changes in the spin wave incident angle for a two-dimensional magnonic crystal comprising a magnetic insulator and copper disks, making this the world's first report."

From Science Daily

In one paper, they showed that using intense THz fields to excite a spin wave at a certain frequency can initiate another spin wave at a higher frequency, somewhat like the harmonic overtones that naturally arise when a guitar string is plucked.

From Science Daily