Attosecond magnetization dynamics in non-magnetic materials driven by intense femtosecond lasers

Abstract

Irradiating solids with ultrashort laser pulses is known to initiate femtosecond timescale magnetization dynamics. However, sub-femtosecond spin dynamics have not yet been observed or predicted. Here, we explore ultrafast light-driven spin dynamics in a highly non-resonant strong-field regime. Through state-of-the-art ab-initio calculations, we predict that a non-magnetic material can be transiently transformed into a magnetic one via dynamical extremely nonlinear spin-flipping processes, which occur on attosecond timescales and are mediated by a combination of multi-photon and spin-orbit interactions. These are non-perturbative non-resonant analogues to the inverse Faraday effect that build up from cycle-to-cycle as electrons gain angular momentum. Remarkably, we show that even for linearly polarized driving, where one does not intuitively expect any magnetic response, the magnetization transiently oscillates as the system interacts with light. This oscillating response is enabled by transverse anomalous light-driven currents in the solid, and typically occurs on timescales of ~500 attoseconds. We further demonstrate that the speed of magnetization can be controlled by tuning the laser wavelength and intensity. An experimental set-up capable of measuring these dynamics through pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy is outlined and simulated. Our results pave the way for new regimes of ultrafast manipulation of magnetism.

arXiv comment21 pages, 14 figures

References in corpus (30)

• Relativistic separable dual-space Gaussian Pseudopotentials from H to Rn
• Discovery of a Three-dimensional Topological Dirac Semimetal, Na3Bi
• Dirac semimetal and topological phase transitions in A3Bi (A=Na, K, Rb)
• Observation of room temperature magnetic skyrmions and their current-driven dynamics in ultrathin Co films
• Prediction and observation of the first antiferromagnetic topological insulator
• Real-space grids and the Octopus code as tools for the development of new simulation approaches for electronic systems
• Generation of phase-matched circularly-polarized extreme ultraviolet high harmonics for magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy
• Light-field driven currents in graphene
• Octopus, a computational framework for exploring light-driven phenomena and quantum dynamics in extended and finite systems
• Perspective: Ultrafast magnetism and THz spintronics
• Petahertz Spintronics
• Symmetries and selection rules in Floquet systems: application to harmonic generation in nonlinear optics
• Polarized phonons carry the missing angular momentum in femtosecond demagnetization
• Topological strong field physics on sub-laser cycle time scale
• Breakdown of the Dipole Approximation in Strong-Field Ionization
• Topological Magnetic Phase in the Candidate Weyl Semimetal CeAlGe
• Introduction to theory of high-harmonic generation in solids: tutorial
• Phonon-derived ultrafast relaxation of spin-valley polarized states in MoS_{2}
• Lightwave topology for strong-field valleytronics
• All-optical probe of three-dimensional topological insulators based on high-harmonic generation by circularly-polarized laser fields
• 1,000-Fold Enhancement of Light-Induced Magnetism in Plasmonic Au Nanoparticles
• Coherent electron trajectory control in graphene
• Modeling electron dynamics coupled to continuum states in finite volumes
• Strong-field physics in three-dimensional topological insulators
• Terahertz driven extremely nonlinear bulk photogalvanic currents in non-resonant conditions
• High-order Harmonic Generation and its Unconventional Scaling Law in the Mott-insulating $\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{a}}_2\mathrm{Ru}{\mathrm{O}}_4$
• Ultrafast high-harmonic nanoscopy of magnetization dynamics
• Chiral high-harmonic generation and spectroscopy on solid surfaces using polarization-tailored strong fields
• Ultrafast optically induced ferromagnetic state in an elemental antiferromagnet
• Off-resonant all-optical switching dynamics in a ferromagnetic model system

Cited by in corpus (17)

• Are there universal signatures of topological phases in high harmonic generation? Probably not
• Optoelectronic manifestation of orbital angular momentum driven by chiral hopping in helical Se chains
• Revealing Ultrafast Phonon Mediated Inter-Valley Scattering through Transient Absorption and High Harmonic Spectroscopies
• Subcycle control of valley-selective excitation via dynamical Franz-Keldysh effect in WSe${}_2$ monolayer
• Ultrafast Dynamics of Orbital Angular Momentum of Electrons Induced by Femtosecond Laser Pulses: Generation and Transfer Across Interfaces
• Terahertz high-harmonic generation in gapped antiferromagnetic chains
• Generalized Linear Response Theory for Pumped Systems and its Application to Transient Optical Properties
• TR-ARPES Signal in Pumped Semiconductors within Dynamical Projective Operatorial Approach (DPOA)
• Nonlinear photomagnetization in insulators
• Ultrafast chiral precession of spin and orbital angular momentum induced by circularly polarized laser pulse
• Light-induced Orbital and Spin Magnetism in $3d$, $4d$, and $5d$ Transition Metals
• Cavity-assisted magnetization switching in a quantum spin-phonon chain
• Triplons, triplon pairs and dynamical symmetries in laser-driven Shastry-Sutherland magnets
• Exploring the impact of the inverse Faraday effect on all-optical helicity-dependent magnetization switching
• Photomagnetic-Chiral Anisotropy mediated by Chirality-Driven Asymmetric Spin Splitting
• Ultrafast Spin Injection in Graphene via Dynamical Carrier Filtering at Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Interfaces
• Excitonic optical absorption in strained monolayer CrSBr