Observation of the Magnon Hall Effect

Abstract

Observing the Magnon Hall Effect The anomalous thermal Hall effect occurs when transverse heat transport is generated in the absence of an external magnetic field. The transport may be mediated by free carriers, phonons, or spin waves (magnons). Onose et al. (p. 297 ) observed this effect in an insulating ferromagnet and were able to rule out free carriers and phonons as the mediators of the thermal transport. Instead, the observations are consistent with a theory ascribing its origin to magnon propagation. This thermal magnon Hall effect is caused by the spin-orbit interaction, which acts in a fashion similar to the magnetic field in the conventional Hall effect. Its observation in an insulator may enable the elimination of losses in spintronic applications.