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

Published

December 21, 2012

Author(s)

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

Abstract

We review recent progress in femtosecond magnetization dynamics probed by extreme ultraviolet pulses from high-harmonic generation. In a transverse magneto-optical Kerr geometry, we establish 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 non equilibrium 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 magnetization dynamics on femtosecond timescales. We elucidate the role of exchange interaction on magnetization dynamics in strongly exchange-coupled alloys, and the role of photo-induced superdiffusive spin currents in magnetic multilayer stacks.

Citation

IEEE Transactions on Magnetics

Volume

103

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

High-harmonic generation, magneto-optical Kerr effect, demagnetization, femtosecond magnetism

Citation

Silva, T. , Shaw, J. , Nembach, H. , La-O-Vorakiat, C. , Kapteyn, H. , Murnane, M. , Mathias, S. , Adam, R. , Grychtol, P. , Aeschlimann, M. , Schneider, C. , Turgut, E. and Rudolf, D. (2012), Ultrafast element-specific magnetization Dynamics of complex magnetic materials on a table-top, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics (Accessed October 24, 2025)