Phys.org March 10, 2022
Non-linear electronic circuits are typically used to generate the high-frequency gigahertz signals needed to operate today’s devices. An international team of researchers (Germany, Switzerland) found a way to do this within a magnetic material without the electronic components. Instead, the magnetization is excited by a low-frequency megahertz source. Using the newly discovered effect the source generates several frequency components, each of which is a multiple of the excitation frequency. These cover a range of six octaves and reach up to several gigahertz. The frequency multiplication is explained by synchronized switching of the dynamic magnetization on a micron scale. The discovery could help make digital technologies more energy efficient. Today’s microelectronics uses electron charges as information carriers which release heat and therefore requires a lot of energy. Spin electronics could provide a promising solution. As it uses spin, it opens the possibility to significantly improve the energy efficiency, enable space-saving and efficient frequency sources for spin electronics in the gigahertz range…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE