Ultrafast optically induced ferromagnetic state in an elemental antiferromagnet

Abstract

We present evidence for an ultrafast optically induced ferromagnetic alignment of antiferromagnetic Mn in Co/Mn multilayers. We observe the transient ferromagnetic signal at the arrival of the pump pulse at the Mn L${}_3$ resonance using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism in reflectivity. The timescale of the effect is comparable to the duration of the excitation and occurs before the magnetization in Co is quenched. Theoretical calculations point to the imbalanced population of Mn unoccupied states caused by the Co interface for the emergence of this transient ferromagnetic state.

arXiv comment6 pages, 3 figures

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• Unconventional magnetism mediated by spin-phonon-photon coupling
• Ultrafast optical generation of antiferromagnetic meron-antimeron pairs with conservation of topological charge
• Parametrically driven THz magnon-pairs: predictions towards ultimately fast and minimally dissipative switching
• Ultrafast chiral precession of spin and orbital angular momentum induced by circularly polarized laser pulse
• Light-induced ultrafast magnetization dynamics in van der Waals antiferromagnetic CrSBr
• Ultrafast Spin Injection in Graphene via Dynamical Carrier Filtering at Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Interfaces
• Femtosecond charge and spin dynamics in CoPt alloys