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arXiv · 2602.21796

Harnessing magnetic anisotropy for nonlinear magnetization precession and spin waves

Abstract

The nonlinearity of magnetization precession and spin waves is a cornerstone of contemporary magnonics. We investigate nonlinear magnetization dynamics in a thin epitaxial iron film driven by femtosecond laser pulses in regimes of homogeneous precession and propagating magnetostatic spin wave packets. The magnetization precession anharmonicity, the generation of higher-order harmonics, and the dynamical rectification are experimentally demonstrated. The numerical solution of the non-linearized Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation reveals that these effects stem from the asymmetry in the energy potential and are essentially thresholdless. This asymmetry is readily achievable when an external magnetic field with a strength comparable to the magnetic anisotropy field is applied close to the hard axis. This work establishes a connection between the geometry of the energy profile and nonlinear responses, paving the way for designing magnonic devices with controlled harmonic generation and nonlinear spin wave interaction.

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P. I. Gerevenkov, L. A. Shelukhin, Ia. A. Filatov, P. A. Dvortsova, A. M. Kalashnikova. 2026-05-27. Harnessing magnetic anisotropy for nonlinear magnetization precession and spin waves. https://doi.org/10.1103/kw8g-g71b

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