Spin superfluidity and spin waves in YIG films

Recently it was suggested that stationary spin supercurrents (spin superfluidity) are possible in the magnon condensate observed in yttrium-iron-garnet (YIG) magnetic films under strong external pumping. Here we analyze this suggestion. From topology of the equilibrium order parameter in YIG one must not expect energetic barriers making spin supercurrents metastable. However some small barriers of dynamical origin are possible nevertheless. The critical phase gradient (analog of the Landau critical velocity in superfluids) is proportional to intensity of the coherent spin wave (number of condensed magnons). The conclusion is that although spin superfluidity in YIG films is possible in principle, the published claim of its observation is not justified. The analysis revealed that the widely accepted spin-wave spectrum in YIG films with magnetostatic and exchange interaction required revision. This led to revision of non-linear corrections, which determine stability of the magnon condensate with and without spin supercurrents.