Study of Surface Character of Micrometer-Scale Dipole-Exchange Spin Waves in an Yttrium Iron Garnet Film

We demonstrate that micrometer-scale spin waves can be excited in a thin film of the ferrimagnetic material yttrium iron garnet (YIG) using patterned, multi-element antennas. The magnitude of the dynamic magnetic field generated by such antennas decays exponentially along the thickness direction, and this leads to an enhanced coupling to modes having a surface-like character as opposed to a more sinusoidal bulk-like character. We have used this property to identify spin waves having a mixed bulk/surface character.