Magnetization and Microstructure Dynamics in Fe/MnAs/GaAs(001): Fe Magnetization Reversal by a Femtosecond Laser Pulse

C. Spezzani, E. Ferrari, E. Allaria, F. Vidal, A. Ciavardini, R. Delaunay, F. Capotondi, E. Pedersoli, M. Coreno, C. Svetina, L. Raimondi, M. Zangrando, R. Ivanov, I. Nikolov, A. Demidovich, M. B. Danailov, H. Popescu, M. Eddrief, G. De Ninno, M. Kiskinova, and M. Sacchi
Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 247202 – Published 9 December 2014
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Abstract

Thin film magnetization reversal without applying external fields is an attractive perspective for applications in sensors and devices. One way to accomplish it is by fine-tuning the microstructure of a magnetic substrate via temperature control, as in the case of a thin Fe layer deposited on a MnAs/GaAs(001) template. This work reports a time-resolved resonant scattering study exploring the magnetic and structural properties of the Fe/MnAs system, using a 100 fs optical laser pulse to trigger local temperature variations and a 100 fs x-ray free-electron laser pulse to probe the induced magnetic and structural dynamics. The experiment provides direct evidence that a single optical laser pulse can reverse the Fe magnetization locally. It reveals that the time scale of the magnetization reversal is slower than that of the MnAs structural transformations triggered by the optical pulse, which take place after a few picoseconds already.

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  • Received 17 June 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.247202

© 2014 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

C. Spezzani1, E. Ferrari1,2, E. Allaria1, F. Vidal3,4, A. Ciavardini5, R. Delaunay6,7, F. Capotondi1, E. Pedersoli1, M. Coreno1,5, C. Svetina1,8, L. Raimondi1, M. Zangrando1, R. Ivanov1,†, I. Nikolov1, A. Demidovich1, M. B. Danailov1, H. Popescu9, M. Eddrief3,4, G. De Ninno1,10, M. Kiskinova1, and M. Sacchi3,4,9,*

  • 1ELETTRA-Sincrotrone Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy
  • 2Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
  • 3Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7588, INSP, F-75005 Paris, France
  • 4CNRS, UMR 7588, Institut des NanoSciences de Paris, F-75005 Paris, France
  • 5CNR—ISM, via Salaria km 29, 300-00016 Monterotondo Scalo (RM), Italy
  • 6Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7614, LCPMR, F-75005 Paris, France
  • 7CNRS, UMR 7614, LCPMR, F-75005 Paris, France
  • 8Graduate School of Nanotechnology, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
  • 9Synchrotron SOLEIL, L’Orme des Merisiers, Saint-Aubin, France
  • 10Laboratory of Quantum Optics, University of Nova Gorica, 5001 Nova Gorica, Slovenia

  • *Present address: DESY Photon Science, Notkestrasse 85, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany.
  • Corresponding author. maurizio.sacchi@synchrotron-soleil.fr

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Issue

Vol. 113, Iss. 24 — 12 December 2014

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