Current-Induced Spin-Wave Doppler Shift

Spin transfer appears to be a promising tool for improving spintronics devices. Experiments that quantitatively access the magnitude of the spin transfer are required for a fundamental understanding of this phenomenon. By inductively measuring spin waves propagating along a permalloy strip subjected to a large electrical current, we observed a current-induced spin wave Doppler shift that we relate to the adiabatic spin transfer torque. Because spin waves provide a well-defined system for performing spin transfer, we anticipate that they could be used as an accurate probe of spin-polarized transport in various itinerant ferromagnets.