Electrical switching of the light color reflected from a NiFe/IrMn mirror

A magnon-assisted electrically driven "mirror" with tuned frequency of the reflected light is created. The effect of in-plane electric current on asymmetry of Stokes–anti-Stokes Brillouin intensities in NiFe/IrMn exchange-biased patterned structures is found. Electric current directed along external magnetic field suppresses anti-Stokes component in Brillouin light-scattering spectra, while the opposite direction of current results in suppression of the Stokes component. We show that spin currents arising in the IrMn layer induce spin-orbit torque affecting uncompensated antiferromagnetic moments at the interface, rotate the antiferromagnetic moments, change bias field, and finally determine direction of dominating spin-wave propagation. The possibility of electric control of spin-wave direction and manipulation over Stokes and anti-Stokes intensities opens a way for design of electro-optical devices switching light frequency.