Indirect excitation of ultrafast demagnetization
- Sorbone Univ., Paris (France); CNRS, UMR, Paris (France)
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Hamburg (Germany)
- Univ. de Lorraine, Vandoeuvre cedex (France)
- Peter Grunberg Institut, Julich (Germany)
- Univ. Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau cedex (France)
- Univ. Siegen, Siegen (Germany)
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Univ. of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France)
- Lund Univ., Lund (Sweden)
- Technische Univ. Berlin, Berlin (Germany); Max-Born-Institut, Berlin (Germany)
- Lund Univ., Lund (Sweden); Technische Univ. Berlin, Berlin (Germany); Max-Born-Institut, Berlin (Germany)
- Sorbonne Univ., Paris (France); Synchrotron SOLEIL, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France)
Does the excitation of ultrafast magnetization require direct interaction between the photons of the optical pump pulse and the magnetic layer? Here, we demonstrate unambiguously that this is not the case. For this we have studied the magnetization dynamics of a ferromagnetic cobalt/palladium multilayer capped by an IR-opaque aluminum layer. Upon excitation with an intense femtosecond-short IR laser pulse, the film exhibits the classical ultrafast demagnetization phenomenon although only a negligible number of IR photons penetrate the aluminum layer. In comparison with an uncapped cobalt/palladium reference film, the initial demagnetization of the capped film occurs with a delayed onset and at a slower rate. Both observations are qualitatively in line with energy transport from the aluminum layer into the underlying magnetic film by the excited, hot electrons of the aluminum film. As a result, our data thus confirm recent theoretical predictions.
- Research Organization:
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00515
- OSTI ID:
- 1240090
- Journal Information:
- Scientific Reports, Vol. 6; ISSN 2045-2322
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
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