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Ultrafast Tuning of Magnetization Precession and Magnetic Anisotropy in Thin Iron Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Ettore Carpene ,
Eduardo Mancini ,
Daniela Dazzi ,
Claudia Dallera ,
Ezio Puppin  and
Sandro De Silvestri
Ettore Carpene
Affiliation:
ettore.carpene@fisi.polimi.it, CNR-INFM, Politecnico di Milano, Dip.to di Fisica, Milano, Italy
Eduardo Mancini
Affiliation:
eduardo.mancini@mail.polimi.it, CNR-INFM, Politecnico di Milano, Dip.to di Fisica, Milano, Italy
Daniela Dazzi
Affiliation:
daniela.dazzi@mail.polimi.it, CNR-INFM, Politecnico di Milano, Dip.to di Fisica, Milano, Italy
Claudia Dallera
Affiliation:
claudia.dallera@fisi.polimi.it, CNR-INFM, Politecnico di Milano, Dip.to di Fisica, Milano, Italy
Ezio Puppin
Affiliation:
ezio.puppin@polimi.it, CNISM, Politecnico di Milano, Dip.to di Fisica, Milano, Italy
Sandro De Silvestri
Affiliation:
sandro.desilvestri@fisi.polimi.it, CNR-INFM, Politecnico di Milano, Dip.to di Fisica, Milano, Italy
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Abstract

We have developed an experimental set-up based on time-resolved Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect (MOKE) that allows to retrieve the vectorial magnetization dynamics in thin films with sub-picosecond resolution. This method has been exploited to measure the variations of the magnetization (modulus and orientation) induced by an ultrashort laser pulse. The initial demagnetization is established at the electronic level within a few hundreds of femtoseconds through electron-magnon excitations. The subsequent dynamics is characterized by a precessional motion on the 100 picosecond time-scale, around an effective, time-dependent field. Following the full dynamics of the magnetization, we have unambiguously determined the temporal evolution of the magneto-crystalline anisotropy, providing the clear experimental evidence that the precession is triggered by the rapid, optically-induced misalignment between the magnetization vector and the effective field. This method provides a simple and widely applicable way to study both magnetization and anisotropy in the sub-picosecond regime and therefore to unravel the mechanisms underlying the ultrafast evolution of the spin order in magnetic media.

Keywords

magnetoopticmagnetic propertiesFe
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1230: Symposium MM – Ultrafast Processes in Materials Science , 2009 , 1230-MM04-10
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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