Electric control of optically-induced magnetization dynamics in a van der Waals ferromagnetic semiconductor

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that electrostatic gating can effectively control optically-induced magnetization dynamics in a 2D ferromagnetic semiconductor, revealing potential for ultrafast spintronic devices.

Contribution

It is the first to show electric control over magnetization dynamics in a 2D ferromagnetic semiconductor through optically-induced processes.

Findings

Electrostatic gates modulate magnetization precession amplitude by an order of magnitude.

Gates cause over 10% change in the internal effective magnetic field.

Coherent opto-magnetic phenomena dominate over thermal mechanisms in excitation.

Abstract

Electric control of magnetization dynamics in two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials is an essential step for the development of novel spintronic nanodevices. Electrostatic gating has been shown to greatly affect the static magnetic properties of some van der Waals magnets, but the control over their magnetization dynamics is still largely unexplored. Here we show that the optically-induced magnetization dynamics in the van der Waals ferromagnet Cr$_2$Ge$_2$Te$_6$ can be effectively controlled by electrostatic gates, with a one order of magnitude change in the precession amplitude and over 10% change in the internal effective field. In contrast to the purely thermally-induced mechanisms previously reported for 2D magnets, we find that coherent opto-magnetic phenomena play a major role in the excitation of magnetization dynamics in Cr$_2$Ge$_2$Te$_6$. Our work sets the first steps towards electric control over the magnetization dynamics in 2D ferromagnetic semiconductors, demonstrating their potential for applications in ultrafast opto-magnonic devices.