In plane reorientation induced single laser pulse magnetization reversal in rare-earth based multilayer

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that single laser pulse magnetization reversal via in-plane reorientation occurs in a broad class of rare-earth transition metal multilayers, revealing a new, general mechanism distinct from Gd-based systems and enabling ultrafast magnetic control.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, general mechanism for all-optical helicity-independent switching in RE-TM multilayers, expanding the range of materials suitable for ultrafast magnetic manipulation.

Findings

Switching mechanism differs from Gd-based systems.

Threshold fluence is independent of pulse duration up to 12 ps.

High laser intensities induce concentric ring domain structures.

Abstract

Single Pulse All Optical Helicity Independent Switching (AO-HIS) represents the ability to reverse the magnetic moment of a nanostructure using a femtosecond single laser pulse. It is an ultrafast method to manipulate magnetization without the use of any applied field. Since the first switching experiments carried on GdFeCo ferrimagnetic systems, single pulse AO-HIS has been restricted for a while to Gd-based alloys or Gd/FM bilayers where FM is a ferromagnetic layer. Only recently has AO-HIS been extended to a few other materials: MnRuGa ferrimagnetic Heusler alloys and Tb/Co multilayers with a very specific range of thickness and composition. Here, we demonstrate that single pulse AO-HIS observed in Tb/Co results from a different mechanism than the one for Gd based samples and that it can be obtained for a large range of rare earth-transition metal (RE-TM) multilayers, making this phenomenon much more general. Surprisingly, in this large family of (RE-TM) multilayer systems, the threshold fluence for switching is observed to be independent of the pulse duration, up to at least 12 ps. Moreover, at high laser intensities, concentric ring domain structures are induced, unveiling multiple fluence thresholds. These striking switching features, which are in contrast to those of AO-HIS in GdFeCo alloys, concomitant with the demonstration of an in-plane reorientation of the magnetization, point towards an intrinsic precessional reversal mechanism. Our results allow expanding the variety of materials with tunable magnetic properties that can be integrated in complex heterostructures and provide a pathway to engineer materials for future applications based on all-optical control of magnetic order.