Review on spin-wave RF applications
Khrystyna O. Levchenko, Kristýna Davídková, Jan Mikkelsen, Andrii V. Chumak
TL;DR
This paper surveys spin-wave (magnonic) technology as a route to compact, energy-efficient RF devices capable of operating across GHz-to-THz regimes, aligning with 5G/6G needs. It synthesizes fundamental magnonics, historic milestones, materials, and a wide array of RF components (filters, delay lines, limiters, resonators, phase shifters, directional couplers, mixers), and assesses performance trade-offs, including insertion loss and biasing challenges. The authors highlight recent advances in transducer design, nanoscale YIG structures, inverse-design/AI, and quantum magnonics, while outlining practical mitigation strategies such as on-chip micromagnets, alternative materials, and hybrid modeling. They emphasize that while YIG remains the benchmark for low losses and long coherence, emerging materials and nanoscale architectures, coupled with improved simulations and design methods, offer a viable pathway to scalable, reconfigurable spin-wave RF platforms for 5G/6G applications. The work underscores a convergence of magnonics with RF engineering, forecasting a future where on-chip, low-power, wave-based RF components complement or surpass conventional SAW/BAW solutions in high-frequency, densely integrated systems.
Abstract
This review explores the development of spin-wave technology, highlighting magnonics as a promising route for radio frequency (RF) communication systems. The rollout of 5G and the upcoming 6G networks intensifies the demand for devices that can operate at higher frequencies while remaining scalable, compact, and energy-efficient - requirements that spin waves are well suited to meet. The first two sections revisit the fundamentals of magnonics, trace major milestones in spin-wave research, and summarize recent advances in materials and device design. The third section reviews RF applications studied over the past 50 years, with emphasis on key passive components, such as filters, limiters, delay lines, phase shifters, and directional couplers. The final section discusses both the advantages and the open challenges of spin-wave devices, including insertion losses, linearity, and power handling, together with the strategies to address them. By linking fundamental insights with technological needs, this review outlines a path toward practical RF platforms. Spin-wave-based devices, with their scalability, versatility, and potential for low-power operation, hold strong promise for future wireless communication, particularly in the 5G and 6G era.