Reply to "Comment on: 'Ultrafast Demagnetization Measurements Using Extreme Ultraviolet Light: Comparison of Electronic and Magnetic Contributions'"

Published

September 4, 2013

Author(s)

Justin Shaw, Thomas J. Silva, Hans Nembach, Emrah Turgut, Patrik Grychtol, Chan La-O-Vorakiat, Henry C. Kapteyn, Margaret M. Murnane, Stefan Mathias, Martin Aeschlimann, Claus Schneider, Daniel E. Adams

Abstract

In the following, we show that the conclusions of our article titled "Ultrafast Demagnetization Measurements Using Extreme Ultraviolet Light: Comparison of Electronic and Magnetic Contributions" are correct. The Comment of Vodungbo et al. argues that a unique determination of the refractive index variation over time is not possible using the data set presented in our paper. Furthermore, it was suggested that the lack of uniqueness allows for the possiblity of a very specific time-dependent trajectory of the refractive index in the complex plane that could give rise to a large nonmagnetic modulation of the measured asymmetry, in spite of a negligible change in the s-polarized reflectivity. In this Reply, we conclusively show that any nonmagnetic contribution to the measured asymmetry is indeed negligible (less than or equal to} 2%), below the noise level of the magnetic-asymmetry measurements. First, we use a few additional measurements to unambiguously rule out the presence of any nonmagnetic contributions to the signal. Second, we show that the scenario proposed by Vodungbo et al. would require both exotic time and energy dependeces of the refractive index near the M edge that are extremely unlikely (virtually impossible) in real materials. Thus, the conclusions of our original article are preserved.

Citation

Physical Review X

Volume

3

Issue

038002

Pub Type

Journals

Citation

Shaw, J. , Silva, T. , Nembach, H. , Turgut, E. , Grychtol, P. , La-O-Vorakiat, C. , Kapteyn, H. , Murnane, M. , Mathias, S. , Aeschlimann, M. , Schneider, C. and Adams, D. (2013), Reply to "Comment on: 'Ultrafast Demagnetization Measurements Using Extreme Ultraviolet Light: Comparison of Electronic and Magnetic Contributions'”, Physical Review X (Accessed October 8, 2025)