Excitation of magnetic precession in bismuth iron garnet via a polarization-independent impulsive photomagnetic effect

TL;DR

This paper reports a polarization-independent, nonthermal optical effect inducing magnetic precession in bismuth iron garnet, distinct from known effects, with impulsive behavior confirmed by field-dependent amplitude measurements.

Contribution

It introduces a novel impulsive photomagnetic effect that is polarization-independent and nonthermal, expanding understanding of light-magnetization interactions in garnet materials.

Findings

Discovery of a new polarization-independent magnetic excitation effect.

Demonstration of the impulsive nature through field-dependent amplitude analysis.

Distinction from inverse Faraday effect and photoinduced anisotropy.

Abstract

A polarization-independent, nonthermal optical effect on the magnetization in bismuth iron garnet is found, in addition to the circular polarization-dependent inverse Faraday effect and the linear polarization-dependent photoinduced magnetic anisotropy. Its impulsive character is demonstrated by the field dependence of the amplitude of the resulting precession, which cannot be explained by a long-living photo or heat-induced anisotropy.