spin wave

American  

noun

Physics.

1. a magnetic wave propagated through a crystal lattice by a collective excitation of the spin angular momentum of electrons.

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spin wave Scientific  

1. A wave propagated through a crystal lattice as a result of shifts in atomic magnetic fields associated with the spin angular momentum of electrons in the lattice.

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Etymology

Origin of spin wave

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

In a magnet, fluctuations in the magnetization propagate, forming a spin wave.

From Nature

Faddeev, L. D. & Takhtajan, L. A. What is the spin of a spin wave?

From Nature

Ultracold atomic gases consisting of about one million atoms of rubidium can convert a single photon into a collective atomic excitation known as a spin wave.

From Nature

"A spin wave travels at a slower rate than an electron wave," he notes.

From Scientific American

Beyond that, there's a wide range of even more exotic research under way -- quantum computing, DNA computing, spin wave devices, exitonic field-effect transistors, spin torque majority gates, bilayer pseudospin field-effect transistors, and more.

From Scientific American