Magnon-magnon coupling efficiency of η = 0.25 in weakly pinned synthetic antiferromagnets

Synthetic antiferromagnets consist of two ferromagnetic layers that are antiferromagnetically coupled. These systems support complex dynamical magnetic excitations, where interlayer coupling gives rise to both in-phase (acoustic) and anti-phase (optical) magnonic modes. Typically, simultaneous excitation of both modes requires breaking the symmetry between the ferromagnetic layers – commonly achieved through slight misalignment of the experimental setup or by modifying the intrinsic magnetic properties. In our approach, we utilize a pinned synthetic antiferromagnet, where one of the ferromagnetic layers is exchange-coupled to an antiferromagnet. We demonstrate that by tuning the thickness of the antiferromagnet and slightly enhancing the magnetic anisotropy of the pinned layer, both acoustic and optical modes can be efficiently excited – without the need for experimental misalignment or changes to the intrinsic material properties. Under specific conditions, the magnon dispersion relations exhibit anti-crossing behavior, resulting in the emergence of a magnonic bandgap – a clear signature of strong magnon-magnon coupling. The coupling efficiency η, defined as the ratio between the bandgap and the characteristic frequency, reaches η=0.25, well in the ultrastrong and approaching the deep-strong coupling regime of η≥1. The combination of strong mode hybridization, a sizable magnonic bandgap, and high ferromagnetic resonance coherence over large areas – all achieved at room temperature without cryogenic cooling – underscores the potential of these systems for quantum magnonic applications, including quantum computing.