Ultrafast element- and depth-resolved magnetization dynamics probed by transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect spectroscopy in the soft x-ray range

Abstract

We report on time- and angle-resolved transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect spectroscopy in the soft x-ray range that, by analysis via polarization-dependent magnetic scattering simulations, allows us to determine the spatio-temporal and element-specific evolution of femtosecond laser-induced spin dynamics in nanostructured magnetic materials. In a ferrimagnetic GdFe thin film system, we correlate a reshaping spectrum of the magneto-optical Kerr signal to depth-dependent magnetization dynamics and disentangle contributions due to non-equilibrium electron transport and nanoscale heat diffusion on their intrinsic time scales. Our work provides a quantitative insight into light-driven spin dynamics occurring at buried interfaces of complex magnetic heterostructures, which can be tailored and functionalized for future opto-spintronic devices.

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Cited by in corpus (8)

• Unraveling Femtosecond Spin and Charge Dynamics with EUV T-MOKE Spectroscopy
• Terahertz high-harmonic generation in gapped antiferromagnetic chains
• Ultrafast behavior of induced and intrinsic magnetic moments in CoFeB/Pt bilayers probed by element-specific measurements in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range
• Laser induced ultrafast Gd 4f spin dynamics in Co100-xGdx alloys by means of time-resolved XMCD
• Ultrafast energy-dispersive soft-x-ray diffraction in the water window with a laser-driven source
• Pump--probe x-ray microscopy of photo-induced magnetization dynamics at MHz repetition rates
• Spectroscopic probe of ultrafast magnetization dynamics in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range
• Magneto-optical Kerr effect in pump-probe setups