Spin-flip processes and ultrafast magnetization dynamics in Co - unifying the microscopic and macroscopic view of femtosecond magnetism

The femtosecond magnetization dynamics of a thin cobalt film excited with ultrashort laser pulses has been studied using two complementary pump-probe techniques, namely spin-, energy- and time-resolved photoemission and time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect. Combining the two methods it is possi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:arXiv.org 2006-10
Main Authors: Cinchetti, M, M Sánchez Albaneda, Hoffmann, D, Roth, T, J -P Wüstenberg, Krauß, M, Andreyev, O, Schneider, H C, Bauer, M, Aeschlimann, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cobalt
Demagnetization
Electron spin
Femtosecond pulsed lasers
Identification methods
Kerr magnetooptical effect
Magnetism
Magnetization
Magnons
Photoelectric emission
Spin dynamics
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Summary:The femtosecond magnetization dynamics of a thin cobalt film excited with ultrashort laser pulses has been studied using two complementary pump-probe techniques, namely spin-, energy- and time-resolved photoemission and time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect. Combining the two methods it is possible to identify the microscopic electron spin-flip mechanisms responsible for the ultrafast macroscopic magnetization dynamics of the cobalt film. In particular, we show that electron-magnon excitation does not affect the overall magnetization even though it is an efficient spin-flip channel on the sub-200 fs timescale. Instead we find experimental evidence for the relevance of Elliott-Yafet type spin-flip processes for the ultrafast demagnetization taking place on a time scale of 300 fs.
ISSN:2331-8422
DOI:10.48550/arxiv.0605272