  Magnetic insulators, such as yttrium iron garnet (Y$_3$Fe$_5$O$_{12}$), are
ideal materials for ultra-low power spintronics applications due to their low
energy dissipation and efficient spin current generation and transmission.
Recently, it has been realized that spin dynamics can be driven very
effectively in micrometer-sized Y$_3$Fe$_5$O$_{12}$/Pt heterostructures by
spin-Hall effects. We demonstrate here the excitation and detection of spin
dynamics in Y$_3$Fe$_5$O$_{12}$/Pt nanowires by spin-torque ferromagnetic
resonance. The nanowires defined via electron-beam lithography are fabricated
by conventional room temperature sputtering deposition on Gd$_3$Ga$_5$O$_{12 }$
substrates and lift-off. We observe field-like and anti-damping-like torques
acting on the magnetization precession, which are due to simultaneous
excitation by Oersted fields and spin-Hall torques. The Y$_3$Fe$_5$O$_{12}$/Pt
nanowires are thoroughly examined over a wide frequency and power range. We
observe a large change in the resonance field at high microwave powers, which
is attributed to a decreasing effective magnetization due to microwave
absorption. These heating effects are much more pronounced in the investigated
nanostructures than in comparable micron-sized samples. By comparing different
nanowire widths, the importance of geometrical confinements for magnetization
dynamics becomes evident: quantized spin-wave modes across the width of the
wires are observed in the spectra. Our results are the first stepping stones
toward the realization of integrated magnonic logic devices based on
insulators, where nanomagnets play an essential role.
