All-optical magnetization switching in ferrimagnetic alloys: deterministic vs thermally activated dynamics

Abstract

Using photo-emission electron microscopy with X-ray magnetic circular dichroism as a contrast mechanism, new insights into the all-optical magnetization switching (AOS) phenomenon in GdFe based rare-earth transition metal ferrimagnetic alloys are provided. From a sequence of static images taken after single linearly polarized laser pulse excitation, the repeatability of AOS can be measured with a correlation coefficient. It is found that low coercivity enables thermally activated domain wall motion, limiting in turn the repeatability of the switching. Time-resolved measurement of the magnetization dynamics reveal that while AOS occurs below and above the magnetization compensation temperature $T_{\text{M}}$, it is not observed in GdFe samples where $T_{\text{M}}$ is absent. Finally, AOS is experimentally demonstrated against an applied magnetic field of up to 180 mT.

18 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (3)

• All-optical control of ferromagnetic thin films and nanostructures
• Ultrafast thermally induced magnetic switching in synthetic ferrimagnets
• Optical energy optimization at the nanoscale by near-field interference

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Comparing all-optical switching in synthetic-ferrimagnetic multilayers and alloys
• Femtosecond X-ray magnetic circular dichroism absorption spectroscopy at an X-ray free electron laser
• Heat accumulation and all-optical switching by domain wall motion in Co/Pd superlattices
• Demagnetizing fields in all-optical switching
• Single femtosecond laser pulse excitation of individual cobalt nanoparticles
• Strongly modulated ultrafast demagnetization and magnetization precession dynamics in ferrimagnetic Gdx(CoFe)1-x alloys via 3d-4f intersublattice exchange coupling
• Influence of magnetic domain walls on all-optical magnetic toggle switching in a ferrimagnetic GdFe film