Publication date: 15th April 2025
Interference of spin waves is one of the key principles for neuromorphic computing. In this study, we explored spin-wave dynamics in a one-dimensional magnonic crystal (MC) by examining heat radiation from spin wave damping. We employed the lock-in thermography (LIT) technique to measure the heat generated by modulating the input microwave power that excites spin waves via a microwave antenna [1]. Our LIT measurements successfully resolved the heat source distributions within the MC, which has periodic grooves with sub-millimeter intervals, by increasing the lock-in frequency. Notably, the temperature distribution induced by spin-wave excitation varies significantly with the microwave frequency or wave number due to interference within the MC. We also compared the observed thermal profile with a calculation based on a one-dimensional transmission line approximation and found good agreement. These observations demonstrate the effectiveness of LIT in analyzing spin-wave dynamics in sub-millimeter MCs and highlight the method's applicability for developing spin-wave-based neuromorphic computing devices.