Magnon frequency combs may make it possible to link and interact with a wide range of physical systems, opening new pathways for communication and control between otherwise separate technologies.

Researchers at theHelmholtz Center Dresden-Rossendorf(HZDR) have identified a previously unknown type of oscillation in extremely small magnetic vortices, known as Floquet states. In contrast to earlier studies that relied on powerful laser pulses to generate these states, the Dresden team found that gentle stimulation using magnetic waves is enough to trigger the effect.

The discovery has implications for fundamental physics and may also point toward practical applications. In the long term, it could function as a kind of universal connector linking electronic, spintronic, and quantum technologies. The researchers describe their findings in the journalScience.

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Magnetic vortices arise in ultrathin, micron-sized disks made from magnetic materials such as nickel–iron. Inside these structures, the individual magnetic moments, often compared to microscopic compass needles, naturally line up in circular arrangements. When the system is disturbed from the outside, waves can travel through it in a way similar to a coordinated crowd wave in a stadium.

Each tiny magnetic moment shifts slightly and passes its motion to its neighbor. Physicists call these shared wave-like motions magnons.

“These magnons can transmit information through a magnet without the need for charge transport,” explains project leader Dr. Helmut Schultheiß from the Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research at HZDR. “This capability makes them highly attractive for research into next-generation computing technologies.”

The team began exploring this behavior while working with especially small magnetic disks, shrinking their diameters from several micrometers to only a few hundred nanometers. The original aim was to study how disks of different sizes might be useful for neuromorphic computing, an emerging approach that mimics how the brain processes information.

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During the analysis, however, the researchers observed something unexpected. Instead of a single resonance peak, some disks showed a whole set of closely spaced lines in their spectra, forming what scientists call a frequency comb.

“At first we assumed it was a measurement artifact or some kind of interference,” recalls Schultheiß. “But when we repeated the experiment, the effect reappeared. That is when it became clear we were looking at something genuinely new.”

Rotating vortex core

The explanation for this behavior is rooted in mathematical ideas introduced by the French mathematician Gaston Floquet. In the late 19th century, he demonstrated that systems exposed to regular, repeating forces can enter new states of motion.

When a system is driven rhythmically, it can develop oscillations that would not exist under stable conditions. Until now, creating these Floquet states usually required intense laser pulses and large amounts of energy.

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The Dresden team discovered that in magnetic vortices, Floquet states can self-emerge – provided the magnons are excited strongly enough. In that case, they transfer part of their energy to the vortex core, causing it to perform a minute circular motion around its center. This subtle movement is sufficient to modulate the magnetic state rhythmically.

Experimentally, the effect manifests as a frequency comb: instead of a single sharp resonance, an entire bundle of regularly spaced lines appears – much like a pure tone splitting into a series of harmonic overtones. “We were stunned that such a minute core motion was enough to transform the familiar magnon spectrum into a whole array of new states,” says Schultheiß.

With microwatts to frequency combs

What makes this so remarkable is the efficiency: the process can be triggered with extremely low energy. Where other setups demand high-power laser pulses, here only microwatt-level inputs suffice – a tiny fraction of the power consumed by a smartphone in standby mode.

This opens up intriguing possibilities. For instance, such frequency combs could help synchronize otherwise disparate systems – linking ultrafastterahertzphenomena with conventional electronics or quantum components.

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“We call it the universal adapter,” Schultheiß explains. “Just as a USB adapter allows devices with different connectors to work together, Floquet magnons could bridge frequencies that would otherwise remain incompatible.”

Looking ahead, the team already has plans to explore whether this principle extends to other magnetic structures. The effect may also prove valuable for developing new computing architectures, since it could facilitate coupling between magnonic signals, electronic circuits, and quantum systems.

“On the one hand, our discovery opens new avenues for addressing fundamental questions in magnetism,” Schultheiß emphasizes. “On the other hand, it could eventually serve as a valuable tool to interconnect the realms of electronics, spintronics, and quantum information technology.”

The Labmule program developed at HZDR, which is offered as a lab automation tool, was used for all measurements of magnetic vortices and, for evaluating the data from various measuring devices.

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