Observing differential spin currents by resonant inelastic X-ray scattering

Yanhong Gu (), Joseph Barker, Jiemin Li, Takashi Kikkawa, Fernando Camino, Kim Kisslinger, John Sinsheimer, Lukas Lienhard, Jackson J. Bauer, Caroline A. Ross, Dmitri N. Basov, Eiji Saitoh, Jonathan Pelliciari, Gerrit E. W. Bauer and Valentina Bisogni ()
Additional contact information
Yanhong Gu: Brookhaven National Laboratory
Joseph Barker: University of Leeds
Jiemin Li: Brookhaven National Laboratory
Takashi Kikkawa: Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Fernando Camino: Brookhaven National Laboratory
Kim Kisslinger: Brookhaven National Laboratory
John Sinsheimer: Brookhaven National Laboratory
Lukas Lienhard: Brookhaven National Laboratory
Jackson J. Bauer: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Caroline A. Ross: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dmitri N. Basov: Columbia University
Eiji Saitoh: The University of Tokyo
Jonathan Pelliciari: Brookhaven National Laboratory
Gerrit E. W. Bauer: Tohoku University
Valentina Bisogni: Brookhaven National Laboratory

Nature, 2025, vol. 645, issue 8082, 900-905

Abstract: Abstract Controlling spin currents, that is, the flow of spin angular momentum, in small magnetic devices, is the principal objective of spin electronics, a main contender for future energy-efficient information technologies1,2. A pure spin current has never been measured directly because the associated electric stray fields and/or shifts in the non-equilibrium spin-dependent distribution functions are too small for conventional experimental detection methods optimized for charge transport3,4. Here we report that resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) can bridge this gap by measuring the spin current carried by magnons—the quanta of the spin wave excitations of the magnetic order—in the presence of temperature gradients across a magnetic insulator. This is possible due to the sensitivity of the momentum- and energy-resolved RIXS intensity to minute changes in the magnon distribution under non-equilibrium conditions. We use the Boltzmann equation in the relaxation time approximation to extract transport parameters, such as the magnon lifetime at finite momentum, essential for the realization of magnon spintronics.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09488-9

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