Magnon-Cherenkov effect in superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructures

Magnon-Cherenkov effect in superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructures | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Magnon-Cherenkov effect in superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructures Sebastian Knauer, Oleksandr Dobrovolskiy, Qi Wang, Denis Vodolazov, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4807057/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 16 Oct, 2025 Read the published version in Nature Nanotechnology → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract When a particle moves through a medium at a speed greater than the speed of light in that medium, it emits photons. This phenomenon, known as the Cherenkov effect, theoretically allows for the generation of excitations by moving sources in relativistic and non-relativistic systems. Magnons, the quasi-particles of spin waves, are collective excitations in magnetically ordered media used for wave-based computing and vow to be a building block for hybrid quantum systems. So far, while attractive for nanoscale magnonic circuits, short-wavelength magnons have not been accessible due to the lack of fast-moving sources. Here, we demonstrate the generation of magnons in a Co-Fe magnonic conduit by fast-moving (>1 km/s) magnetic flux quanta (Abrikosov vortices) in an adjacent Nb-C superconducting strip. Our findings demonstrate the generation of sub-40nm wavelength magnons, their unidirectional excitation, and self-locked magnon-fluxon dynamics at the Cherenkov resonance condition. Beyond these initial demonstrations, the magnon-Cherenkov effect sustains superconductivity and enables on-chip magnon generation at high speeds. Our illustration of the magnon-Cherenkov effect could be expanded to encompass other wave types, such as surface acoustic waves. Physical sciences/Physics/Quantum physics/Single photons and quantum effects Physical sciences/Physics/Condensed-matter physics/Magnetic properties and materials Physical sciences/Materials science/Condensed-matter physics/Superconducting properties and materials Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files MovieS1.mp4 Movie S1 MovieS2.mp4 Movie S2 MovieS3.mp4 Movie S3 MovieS4.avi Movie S4 MovieS5.avi Movie S5 MovieS6.avi Movie S6 MovieS7.avi Movie S7 MovieS8.avi Movie S8 MovieS9.avi Movie S9 MovieS10.avi Movie S10 MovieS11.avi Movie S11 MovieS12.avi Movie S12 SupplementaryCherenkovMagnonSubmissionNature.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 16 Oct, 2025 Read the published version in Nature Nanotechnology → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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