Structural dynamics during laser induced ultrafast demagnetization

TL;DR

This study uses femtosecond time-resolved X-ray magnetic reflectivity to investigate structural and magnetic dynamics in a Ni film during ultrafast laser-induced demagnetization, revealing strong correlations between magnetization quenching and structural changes.

Contribution

It provides the first direct measurement linking structural dynamics with ultrafast demagnetization using tr-XRMR, enabling discrimination between competing models.

Findings

Magnetization quenching occurs within sub-picoseconds.

Strong changes in non-magnetic X-ray reflectivity accompany demagnetization.

Structural variations of up to 1% in Ni layer thickness are observed.

Abstract

The mechanism underlying femtosecond laser pulse induced ultrafast magnetization dynamics remains elusive despite two decades of intense research on this phenomenon. Most experiments focused so far on characterizing magnetization and charge carrier dynamics, while first direct measurements of structural dynamics during ultrafast demagnetization were reported only very recently. We here present our investigation of the infrared laser pulse induced ultrafast demagnetization process in a thin Ni film, which characterizes simultaneously magnetization and structural dynamics. This is achieved by employing femtosecond time resolved X-ray resonant magnetic reflectivity (tr-XRMR) as probe technique. The experimental results reveal unambiguously that the sub-picosecond magnetization quenching is accompanied by strong changes in non-magnetic X-ray reflectivity. These changes vary with reflection angle and changes up to 30$\%$ have been observed. Modeling the X-ray reflectivity of the investigated thin film, we can reproduce these changes by a variation of the apparent Ni layer thickness of up to 1$\%$. Extending these simulations to larger incidence angles we show that tr-XRMR can be employed to discriminate experimentally between currently discussed models describing the ultrafast demagnetization phenomenon.