Type-II-like ultrafast demagnetization behavior in NiCo2O4 thin films

TL;DR

This study reveals a consistent two-step ultrafast demagnetization process in NiCo2O4 thin films, characterized by a rapid initial reduction followed by a slower recovery, demonstrating intrinsic magnetic dynamics in rare-earth-free ferrimagnetic oxides.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed observation of type-II-like ultrafast demagnetization behavior in NiCo2O4 thin films across multiple excitation wavelengths.

Findings

Demonstrated a 5-6 ps demagnetization timescale.

Observed reproducible ultrafast magnetic response across different pump-probe setups.

Highlighted the potential of rare-earth-free ferrimagnets for ultrafast spin dynamics studies.

Abstract

Rare-earth-ferrimagnetic oxides are emerging as attractive platforms for investigating ultrafast spin dynamics. Here, we study the photoinduced magnetization dynamics of epitaxial NiCo2O4 (NCO) thin films by time-resolved magneto-optical Faraday effect using two independent pump-probe configurations: 1030/515 nm and 800/400 nm. In both measurements, photoexcitation induces an immediate reduction of the magneto-optical signal within the experimental time resolution, followed by a reproducible slower demagnetization component with a characteristic timescale of approximately 5-6 ps and a subsequent recovery on the ~100 ps timescale. Importantly, this picosecond demagnetization component is observed consistently across the two experimental configurations and excitation wavelengths, demonstrating that it is an intrinsic feature of the ultrafast magnetic response of NCO thin films. Because the earliest-time dip may contain a transient optical contribution, we describe the overall response as type-II-like, rather than assigning a definitive textbook type-II classification solely on the basis of the sub-resolution signal. These results establish a robust two-step ultrafast demagnetization behavior in NCO and highlight rare-earth-free oxide ferrimagnets as promising systems for exploring Mult sublattice spin dynamics on ultrafast timescales.