Ultrafast element-specific magnetization dynamics of complex magnetic materials on a table-top

Published

December 21, 2012

Author(s)

Justin M. Shaw, Stefan Mathias, Chan La-O=Vorakiat, Emrah Turgut, Patrik Grychtol, Roman Adam, Dennis Rudolf, Hans T. Nembach, Martin Aeschlimann, Claus Schneider, Henry Kapteyn, Margaret Murnane

Abstract

We review recent progress in femtosecond magnetization dynamics probed by extreme ultraviolet pulses from high-harmonic generation. In a transversal magneto-optical Kerr geometry, we established an ultrafast, element-specific experimental capability – on a table-top - for the measurement of magnetization dynamics in complex multi-sublattice magnets and multilayer magnetic structures. We show that this newly introduced technique is an artifact-free magnetic sensor, with only negligible non-magnetic (optical)contributions from the transient variation of the refractive index due to the presence of a nonequilibrium hot-electron distribution. We then use these new experimental capabilities of ultrahigh time-resolution combined with element-specific simultaneous probing, to disentangle important microscopic processes that drive magnetic dynamics on femtosecond timescales. We elucidate the role of exchange interaction on magnetic dynamics in strongly exchange-coupled alloys, and the role of photo-induced superdiffusive spin currents in magnetic multilayer stacks.

Citation

Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena

Volume

189

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

High harmonic generation, ultra-fast magnetism, x-ray lases, magnetization dynamics, magnetism, MOKE

Citation

Shaw, J. , Mathias, S. , La-O=Vorakiat, C. , Turgut, E. , Grychtol, P. , Adam, R. , Rudolf, D. , Nembach, H. , Aeschlimann, M. , Schneider, C. , Kapteyn, H. and Murnane, M. (2012), Ultrafast element-specific magnetization dynamics of complex magnetic materials on a table-top, Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=911939 (Accessed October 8, 2025)