Magnetic excitations in solids

This article presents a review of low to moderate frequency magnetic excitations, termed magnons or spin waves, in magnetically ordered materials. The emphasis is on intuitive behavior rather than analytical theory. Topics include spin waves, magnetostatic modes, dipole-exchange modes, surface anisotropy, dispersion properties, nonlinear effects, and relaxation. These phenomena are illustrated with experimental examples based on magnon light scattering results as well as conventional microwave techniques.