A nonlocal spin Hall magnetoresistance in a platinum layer deposited on a magnon junction

Magnetoresistance effects are used in a variety of devices including hard disk drives and magnetic random access memories. In particular, giant magnetoresistance and tunnelling magnetoresistance can be used to create spin valves and tunnel junctions in which the resistance depends on the relative magnetization orientations of two ferromagnetic conducting layers. Here, we report a magnetoresistance effect that occurs in a platinum layer deposited on a magnon junction consisting of two insulating magnetic yttrium iron garnet (YIG) layers separated by an antiferromagnetic nickel oxide spacer layer. The resistance of the platinum layer is found to depend on the magnetization of the YIG layer in direct contact with it (an effect known as spin Hall magnetoresistance), but also the magnetization of the adjacent YIG layer in the junction. The resistance of the platinum layer is higher when the two YIG layers are aligned antiparallel than when parallel. We assign this behaviour to a magnonic nonlocal spin Hall magnetoresistance in which spin-carrying magnon propagation across the junction affects spin accumulation at the metal interface and hence modulates the spin Hall magnetoresistance. The effect could be used to develop spintronic and magnonic devices that have spin transport properties controlled by an all-insulating magnon junction and are thus free from Joule heating.