Magnonic analog of relativistic Zitterbewegung in an antiferromagnetic spin chain

Abstract

We theoretically investigate the spin wave (magnon) excitations in a classical antiferromagnetic spin chain with easy-axis anisotropy. We obtain a Dirac-like equation by linearizing the Landau- Lifshitz-Gilbert equation in this antiferromagnetic system, in contrast to the ferromagnetic system in which a Schrödinger equation is derived. The Hamiltonian operator in the Dirac-like equation is a pseudo-Hermitian. We compute and demonstrate the relativistic Zitterbewegung (trembling motion) in the antiferromagnetic spin chain by measuring the expectation values of the wave packet position.

7 pages, 4 figures