Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have made a significant discovery in the field of magnetism, revealing previously unobserved oscillation states known as Floquet states in tiny magnetic vortices. Published on January 8, 2026, in the journal Science, this breakthrough indicates that subtle magnetic wave excitations can generate these states without the need for energy-intensive laser pulses.
Magnetic vortices can develop in ultrathin disks of magnetic materials, such as nickel-iron, where elementary magnetic moments, akin to tiny compass needles, arrange themselves in circular patterns. When these vortices are perturbed, waves propagate through the system, much like a wave moving through a stadium. This phenomenon allows for the transmission of information through a magnet without requiring charge transport, according to project leader Dr. Helmut Schultheiß from the Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research at HZDR. He notes the potential of these magnons as promising candidates for next-generation computing technologies.
Initially, the research team focused on increasingly smaller magnetic disks, reducing their diameters from several micrometers down to a few hundred nanometers. Their goal was to explore the application of these disks in neuromorphic computing, a new computational paradigm. However, during their analysis, they discovered that certain disks generated not just a single resonance line, but an entire series of finely split lines, resembling a frequency comb.
Dr. Schultheiß recalls, “At first we assumed it was a measurement artifact or some kind of interference. But when we repeated the experiment, the effect reappeared. That is when it became clear we were looking at something genuinely new.”
The mathematical framework underlying this phenomenon traces back to the work of Gaston Floquet, who showed in the late 19th century that systems subjected to periodic driving can develop entirely new states. The Dresden team found that in magnetic vortices, Floquet states can self-emerge when magnons are excited strongly enough. This causes the vortex core to perform a minute circular motion, modulating the magnetic state rhythmically, which manifests as a frequency comb in experimental results.
What sets this discovery apart is its energy efficiency. Unlike traditional methods that require high-power laser pulses, this process can be initiated with low-energy inputs at the microwatt level, representing a fraction of the power consumed by a smartphone in standby mode. Such efficiency opens up intriguing possibilities for synchronizing disparate systems, linking ultrafast terahertz phenomena with conventional electronics or quantum components.
Dr. Schultheiß describes the potential of these Floquet magnons as a “universal adapter,” similar to how a USB adapter allows devices with different connectors to work together. This could enable connections between frequencies that would typically remain incompatible.
Looking to the future, the team plans to investigate whether this principle applies to other magnetic structures. The findings could have significant implications for the development of new computing architectures, facilitating connections between magnonic signals, electronic circuits, and quantum systems.
“Our discovery opens new avenues for addressing fundamental questions in magnetism,” emphasizes Dr. Schultheiß. “It could eventually serve as a valuable tool to interconnect the realms of electronics, spintronics, and quantum information technology.”
Overall, this research not only advances our understanding of magnetic phenomena but also holds promise for the evolution of technological systems that integrate various domains of physics. The methodologies employed in this study, including the Labmule program developed at HZDR, were integral for measuring and evaluating data from the magnetic vortices.
This research marks a pivotal step in harnessing the unique properties of magnetic systems for future applications, potentially reshaping how we think about computing and information transfer.