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Optical-helicity-driven magnetization dynamics in metallic ferromagnets

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  • Gyung-Min Choi

    (Center for Spintronics, Korea Institute of Science and Technology
    University of Illinois)

  • André Schleife

    (University of Illinois)

  • David G. Cahill

    (University of Illinois)

Abstract

Recent observations of switching of magnetic domains in ferromagnetic metals by circularly polarized light, so-called all-optical helicity dependent switching, has renewed interest in the physics that governs the interactions between the angular momentum of photons and the magnetic order parameter of materials. Here we use time-resolved-vectorial measurements of magnetization dynamics of thin layers of Fe, Ni and Co driven by picosecond duration pulses of circularly polarized light. We decompose the torques that drive the magnetization into field-like and spin-transfer components that we attribute to the inverse Faraday effect and optical spin-transfer torque, respectively. The inverse Faraday effect is approximately the same in Fe, Ni and Co, but the optical spin-transfer torque is strongly enhanced by adding a Pt capping layer. Our work provides quantitative data for testing theories of light–material interactions in metallic ferromagnets and multilayers.

Suggested Citation

  • Gyung-Min Choi & André Schleife & David G. Cahill, 2017. "Optical-helicity-driven magnetization dynamics in metallic ferromagnets," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-7, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15085
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15085
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    Cited by:

    1. Lin Huang & Yanzhang Cao & Hongsong Qiu & Hua Bai & Liyang Liao & Chong Chen & Lei Han & Feng Pan & Biaobing Jin & Cheng Song, 2024. "Terahertz oscillation driven by optical spin-orbit torque," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-7, December.

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