Spin Waves & Magnons

Heisenberg ferromagnet: collective spin precession propagates as quantized magnons
k (wave number)
ω (frequency)
Mode Energy
The Heisenberg model: H = -J Σ Sᵢ·Sᵢ₊₁. Classical spin dynamics: dS/dt = S × B_eff where B_eff = J(Sᵢ₋₁+Sᵢ₊₁). Magnon dispersion: ω(k) = 4J sin²(k/2). At k≈0: acoustic (linear), at k=π: gapped zone-boundary magnon.