Toward magnonic logic and neuromorphic computing: controlling spin waves by spin-polarized current

Spin waves (magnons) are among the prime candidates for building fast yet energy-efficient platforms for information transport and computing. Here we demonstrate theoretically and in state-of-the-art micromagnetic simulation the effects that strategically injected spin-polarized current can have on controlling magnonic transport. We reveal analytically that the Zhang-Li spin-transfer-torque induced by applied current is analogous to the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction for scattering the magnons in the linear regime, to then provide a generalized Snell's law that describes the spin-wave propagation across regions with different current densities. We validate the latter in numerical simulations of realistic systems, and exemplify how these findings may help advance the design of spin-wave logic and neuromorphic computing devices.