Laser Controlled Spin Dynamics of Ferromagnetic Thin Film from Femtosecond to Nanosecond Timescale

TL;DR

This paper investigates laser-induced magnetization dynamics in Ni80Fe20 thin films across femtosecond to nanosecond timescales, revealing how pump fluence influences demagnetization, remagnetization, and precessional frequency through thermal effects and damping.

Contribution

It unifies ultrafast magnetic processes over broad timescales and demonstrates control of spin dynamics via laser parameters using theoretical models.

Findings

Remagnetization time increases with pump fluence.

Gilbert damping parameter significantly enhances with pump fluence.

Precessional frequency exhibits a red shift with increasing pump fluence.

Abstract

Laser induced modulation of the magnetization dynamics occurring over various time-scales have been unified here for a Ni80Fe20 thin film excited by amplified femtosecond laser pulses. The weak correlation between demagnetization time and pump fluence with substantial enhancement in remagnetization time is demonstrated using three-temperature model considering the temperatures of electron, spin and lattice. The picosecond magnetization dynamics is modeled using the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. With increasing pump fluence the Gilbert damping parameter shows significant enhancement from its intrinsic value due to increment in the ratio of electronic temperature to Curie temperature within very short time scale. The precessional frequency experiences noticeable red shift with increasing pump fluence. The changes in the local magnetic properties due to accumulation and dissipation of thermal energy within the probed volume are described by the evolution of temporal chirp parameter in a comprehensive manner. A unification of ultrafast magnetic processes and its control over broad timescale would enable the integration of various magnetic processes in a single device and use one effect to control another.