Ultrafast Orbital Hall Effect in Metallic Nanoribbons

TL;DR

This paper explores the ultrafast orbital Hall effect in metallic nanoribbons induced by femtosecond laser pulses, revealing dynamic behaviors and differences from static effects through detailed atomic-scale simulations.

Contribution

It extends the understanding of the orbital Hall effect into the time domain, providing the first detailed simulation of ultrafast orbital angular momentum dynamics in metallic nanostructures.

Findings

Ultrafast orbital Hall currents are induced by femtosecond laser pulses.

Differences are observed between orbital angular momentum and charge current dynamics.

The study establishes a foundation for ultrafast Hall effect research in metals.

Abstract

The orbital Hall effect can generate currents of angular momentum more efficiently than the spin Hall effect in most metals. However, so far, it has only been understood as a steady state phenomenon. In this theoretical study, the orbital Hall effect is extended into the time domain. We investigate the orbital angular momenta and their currents induced by a femtosecond laser pulse in a Cu nanoribbon. Our numerical simulations provide detailed insights into the laser-driven electron dynamics on ultrashort timescales with atomic resolution. The ultrafast orbital Hall effect described in this work is consistent with the familiar pictorial representation of the static orbital Hall effect, but we also find pronounced differences between physical quantities that carry orbital angular momentum and those that carry charge. For example, there are deviations in the time series of the respective currents. This study lays the foundations for investigating ultrafast Hall effects in confined metallic systems.