Laser induced magnetization switching in films with perpendicular anisotropy: a comparison between measurements and a multi-macrospin model

TL;DR

This study investigates femtosecond laser-induced magnetization switching in perpendicular anisotropy films, comparing experimental results with a multi-macrospin model to understand ultrafast thermally-assisted reversal mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed comparison between experimental measurements and a multi-macrospin Landau-Lifshitz-Bloch model for ultrafast magnetization switching.

Findings

Laser pulses induce magnetization switching at low fields within sub-nanoseconds.

The process involves ultrafast demagnetization, partial recovery, and thermally activated switching.

Experimental results align with the model's predictions of thermal-assisted reversal dynamics.

Abstract

Thermally-assisted ultra-fast magnetization reversal in a DC magnetic field for magnetic multilayer thin films with perpendicular anisotropy has been investigated in the time domain using femtosecond laser heating. The experiment is set-up as an optically pumped stroboscopic Time Resolved Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect magnetometer. It is observed that a modest laser fluence of about 0.3 mJ/square-cm induces switching of the magnetization in an applied field much less than the DC coercivity (0.8 T) on the sub-nanosecond time-scale. This switching was thermally-assisted by the energy from the femtosecond pump-pulse. The experimental results are compared with a model based on the Landau Lifschitz Bloch equation. The comparison supports a description of the reversal process as an ultra-fast demagnetization and partial recovery followed by slower thermally activated switching due to the spin system remaining at an elevated temperature after the heating pulse.