All-optical helicity-dependent switching in NiCo$_2$O$_4$ thin films

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates helicity-dependent all-optical magnetic switching in NiCo2O4 thin films at room temperature using ultrashort laser pulses, revealing new controllable magnetic states for potential data storage applications.

Contribution

It reports the first observation of helicity-dependent AOS in NiCo2O4 thin films with ultrashort laser pulses at room temperature, expanding the understanding of laser-induced magnetic switching.

Findings

AOS in NiCo2O4 is helicity-dependent.

Two types of AOS observed depending on laser parameters.

AOS occurs at room temperature with ultrashort pulses.

Abstract

All-optical switching (AOS) involves manipulating magnetization using only pulsed laser, presenting a promising approach for next-generation magnetic recording devices. NiCo2O4 (NCO) thin films, a rare-earth-free ferrimagnetic oxide, exhibit a high Curie temperature and strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. This study demonstrates AOS in NCO thin films at room temperature using long-duration laser pulses and high repetition rates. Unlike previous findings, the AOS phenomena we report here are helicity-dependent and observable with an ultrashort pulsed laser. Consequently, two distinct types of AOS can be observed in a single NCO thin film, contingent on the characteristics of the laser pulses and temperature.