Anisotropic Ultrafast Spin Dynamics in Epitaxial Cobalt

Abstract

We investigate the ultrafast spin dynamics in an epitaxial hcp(1100) cobalt thin film. By performing pump-probe magneto-optical measurements with the magnetization along either the easy or hard magnetic axis, we determine the demagnetization and recovery times for the two axes. We observe a 35% slower dynamics along the easy magnetization axis, which we attribute to magneto-crystalline anisotropy of the electron-phonon coupling, supported by our ab initio calculations. This points towards an unambiguous and previously undisclosed role of anisotropic electron-lattice coupling in ultrafast magnetism.

arXiv commentMain text: 6 pages, 4 figures. Supplemental Material: 6 pages, 7 figures

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• Terahertz charge and spin transport in metallic ferromagnets: the role of crystalline and magnetic order
• Ultrafast dynamics of moments in bulk ferromagnets