Huge ultrafast spin Seebeck effect mediated by laser-excited superdiffusive magnon currents

TL;DR

This paper introduces an ab initio microscopic model to simulate ultrafast laser-induced magnon transport in ferromagnetic metals, revealing a superdiffusive spin Seebeck effect with high amplitude and a transition from ballistic to diffusive regimes.

Contribution

The authors develop a quantum Boltzmann equation-based framework that captures nonthermal magnon dynamics on ultrafast timescales, surpassing traditional diffusive models.

Findings

Prediction of an ultrafast, high-amplitude spin Seebeck effect.

Identification of a superdiffusive transport regime transitioning from ballistic to diffusive.

Calculation of magneto-optical Kerr signals from depth-resolved magnetization profiles.

Abstract

Subpicosecond laser excitation of ferromagnetic metals induces strongly nonequilibrium dynamics involving scattering and transport of electrons, phonons, and magnons. Widely used theoretical approaches, such as the three-temperature model and diffusion equations, are ill-suited to capture these processes on ultrafast timescales. Here, we present an ab initio-parameterized microscopic framework that incorporates nonthermal magnon scattering and transport via the quantum Boltzmann equation. We apply this approach to simulate ultrafast laser-induced demagnetization in bcc Fe films. The model predicts an ultrafast spin Seebeck effect, characterized by a strong burst of fast-moving magnonic spin current reaching technologically relevant amplitudes. Furthermore, we identify a superdiffusive transport regime: a crossover from initially ballistic magnon transport to a diffusive regime at later times. To connect our theoretical predictions to experimentally accessible observables, we calculate the magneto-optical Kerr angles resulting from the predicted depth-resolved magnetization profiles. Our framework provides a route to describe ultrafast nonthermal magnon transport beyond diffusive models and will aid in the design and interpretation of time-resolved spin-transport experiments.