Topological switching in bilayer magnons via electrical control

Abstract

Topological magnons, quantized spin waves featuring nontrivial boundary modes, present a promising route toward lossless information processing. Realizing practical devices typically requires magnons excited in a controlled manner to enable precise manipulation of their topological phases and transport behaviors. However, their inherent charge neutrality and a high frequency nature pose a significant challenge for nonvolatile control, especially via electric means. Herein, we propose a general strategy for electrical control of topological magnons in bilayer ferromagnetic insulators. With strong spin-layer coupling, an applied vertical electric field induces an interlayer potential imbalance that modifies intralayer Heisenberg exchanges between adjacent layers. This electric-field-driven modulation competes with the bilayer's intrinsic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, enabling the accurate tuning of the band topology and nonreciprocal dynamics of magnons. More importantly, such an electric control mechanism exhibits strong coupling with external magnetic fields, unveiling new perspectives on magnetoelectric coupling in charge-neutral quasiparticles