Ultrafast spin-switching of a ferrimagnetic alloy at room temperature traced by resonant magneto-optical Kerr effect using a seeded free electron laser

Sh Yamamoto; M Taguchi; T Someya; Y Kubota; S Ito; H Wadati; M Fujisawa; F Capotondi; E Pedersoli; M Manfredda; L Raimondi; M Kiskinova; J Fujii; P Moras; T Tsuyama; T Nakamura; T Kato; T Higashide; S Iwata; S Yamamoto; S Shin; I Matsuda

doi:10.1063/1.4927828

Ultrafast spin-switching of a ferrimagnetic alloy at room temperature traced by resonant magneto-optical Kerr effect using a seeded free electron laser

Rev Sci Instrum. 2015 Aug;86(8):083901. doi: 10.1063/1.4927828.

Authors

Sh Yamamoto¹, M Taguchi², T Someya¹, Y Kubota¹, S Ito¹, H Wadati¹, M Fujisawa¹, F Capotondi³, E Pedersoli³, M Manfredda³, L Raimondi³, M Kiskinova³, J Fujii⁴, P Moras⁵, T Tsuyama¹, T Nakamura¹, T Kato⁶, T Higashide⁶, S Iwata⁷, S Yamamoto¹, S Shin¹, I Matsuda¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan.
² Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan.
³ Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, SS 14 - km 163.5, I-34149 Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
⁴ Laboratorio TASC, Istituto Officina dei Materiali, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, I-34012 Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
⁵ Istituto di Struttura della Materia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Trieste, Italy.
⁶ Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan.
⁷ Division of Integrated Research Projects, EcoTopia Science Institute, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan.

PMID: 26329205
DOI: 10.1063/1.4927828

Abstract

Ultrafast magnetization reversal of a ferrimagnetic metallic alloy GdFeCo was investigated by time-resolved resonant magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements using a seeded free electron laser. The GdFeCo alloy was pumped by a linearly polarized optical laser pulse, and the following temporal evolution of the magnetization of Fe in GdFeCo was element-selectively traced by a probe free electron laser pulse with a photon energy tuned to the Fe M-edge. The results have been measured using rotating analyzer ellipsometry method and confirmed magnetization switching caused by ultrafast heating.