An easy-to-use and versatile software to calculate spin waves in any abitrary magnetic lattice
Since the 1950’s, spin wave theory has been of fundamental importance in condensed matter physics. Spin waves are obtained from the linearization of the equation of motion, and can be seen as precession modes of the magnetically ordered structure, with typical energies of a few meV (or THz). Spin wave dispersions are routinely measured by neutron spectroscopy, and provide information about the coupling between spins and magnetic anisotropy parameters.
A spin wave calculating code, SpinWave, has been developed at the Laboratoire Léon Brillouin and is now freely available.
CefWave, a code for calculating crystal field excitations is currently being developped and can be downloaded with the SpinWave software.
Features
Arbitrary magnetic structure and Hamiltonian
Simulation of spin waves spectra for commensurate, as well as incommensurate magnetic structures, using linear spin-wave theory. Several possible magnetic interactions, Heisenberg, anisotropic, Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya, etc…
Detailed correlation functions In addition to the dispersion, spin-spin correlation functions, chiral correlations, with or without magnetic form factor, can be calculated.
Single-crystal and powder Calculations in any direction of the reciprocal space, and constant energy cut calculations in any plane of the reciprocal space are possible, as well as the calculation of the powder-averaged spin wave spectrum.
Classical energy minimization Possibility to use classical energy minimization to determine the ground state magnetic structure (single k) for a set of magnetic exchange and anisotropies.
© Sylvain Petit, LLB – All rights reserved.