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Title: Understanding all-optical spin switching: Comparison between experiment and theory

Abstract

We report that information technology depends on how one can control and manipulate signals accurately and quickly. Transistors are at the core of modern technology and are based on electron charges. But as the device dimension shrinks, heating becomes a major problem. The spintronics explores the spin degree of electrons and thus bypasses the heat, at least in principle. For this reason, spin-based technology offers a possible solution. In this review, we survey some of the latest developments in all-optical switching (AOS), where ultrafast laser pulses are able to reverse spins from one direction to the other deterministically. But AOS only occurs in a special group of magnetic samples and within a narrow window of laser parameters. Some samples need multiple pulses to switch spins, while others need a single-shot pulse. To this end, there are several models available, but the underlying mechanism is still under debate. This review is different from other prior reviews in two aspects. First, we sacrifice the completeness of reviewing existing studies, while focusing on a limited set of experimental results that are highly reproducible in different labs and provide actual switched magnetic domain images. Second, we extract the common features from existing experiments thatmore » are critical to AOS, without favoring a particular switching mechanism. We emphasize that given the limited experimental data, it is really premature to identify a unified mechanism. Lastly, we compare these features with our own model prediction, without resorting to a phenomenological scheme. We hope that this review serves the broad readership well.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [3]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Indiana State Univ., Terre Haute, IN (United States)
  2. Lanzhou Univ. (China)
  3. Univ. of Missouri, St. Louis, MO (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1544190
Grant/Contract Number:  
FG02-06ER46304; AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Modern Physics Letters B
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 32; Journal Issue: 28; Journal ID: ISSN 0217-9849
Publisher:
World Scientific Publishing
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; All-optical switching; spin dynamics; dynamic simulation

Citation Formats

Zhang, G. P., Murakami, M., Si, M. S., Bai, Y. H., and George, Thomas F. Understanding all-optical spin switching: Comparison between experiment and theory. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1142/S021798491830003X.
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Zhang, G. P., Murakami, M., Si, M. S., Bai, Y. H., & George, Thomas F. Understanding all-optical spin switching: Comparison between experiment and theory. United States. https://doi.org/10.1142/S021798491830003X
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Zhang, G. P., Murakami, M., Si, M. S., Bai, Y. H., and George, Thomas F. Wed . "Understanding all-optical spin switching: Comparison between experiment and theory". United States. https://doi.org/10.1142/S021798491830003X. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1544190.
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@article{osti_1544190,
title = {Understanding all-optical spin switching: Comparison between experiment and theory},
author = {Zhang, G. P. and Murakami, M. and Si, M. S. and Bai, Y. H. and George, Thomas F.},
abstractNote = {We report that information technology depends on how one can control and manipulate signals accurately and quickly. Transistors are at the core of modern technology and are based on electron charges. But as the device dimension shrinks, heating becomes a major problem. The spintronics explores the spin degree of electrons and thus bypasses the heat, at least in principle. For this reason, spin-based technology offers a possible solution. In this review, we survey some of the latest developments in all-optical switching (AOS), where ultrafast laser pulses are able to reverse spins from one direction to the other deterministically. But AOS only occurs in a special group of magnetic samples and within a narrow window of laser parameters. Some samples need multiple pulses to switch spins, while others need a single-shot pulse. To this end, there are several models available, but the underlying mechanism is still under debate. This review is different from other prior reviews in two aspects. First, we sacrifice the completeness of reviewing existing studies, while focusing on a limited set of experimental results that are highly reproducible in different labs and provide actual switched magnetic domain images. Second, we extract the common features from existing experiments that are critical to AOS, without favoring a particular switching mechanism. We emphasize that given the limited experimental data, it is really premature to identify a unified mechanism. Lastly, we compare these features with our own model prediction, without resorting to a phenomenological scheme. We hope that this review serves the broad readership well.},
doi = {10.1142/S021798491830003X},
journal = {Modern Physics Letters B},
number = 28,
volume = 32,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Wed Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1142/S021798491830003X
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    Spin-orbit torque-mediated spin-wave excitation as an alternative paradigm for femtomagnetism
    journal, September 2019

    • Zhang, G. P.; Murakami, M.; Bai, Y. H.
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