6533b7d3fe1ef96bd1261459

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Ultrafast and Energy-Efficient Quenching of Spin Order: Antiferromagnetism Beats Ferromagnetism

Niko PontiusChristoph TrabantChristoph TrabantChristoph TrabantHartmut ZabelAlexander FöhlischAlexander FöhlischChristian Schüßler-langeheineRolf MitznerN. Thielemann-kühnN. Thielemann-kühnKarsten HolldackDaniel Schick

subject

PhysicsQuenchingCondensed Matter - Materials ScienceAngular momentumCondensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale PhysicsCondensed matter physicsInstitut für Physik und AstronomieGeneral Physics and AstronomyMaterials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)FOS: Physical sciences02 engineering and technology021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology01 natural sciencesFerromagnetismUltrafast magnetic dynamics antiferromagnetic dynamics interatomic spin transfer0103 physical sciencesFemtosecondMesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)AntiferromagnetismCondensed Matter::Strongly Correlated Electrons010306 general physics0210 nano-technologyUltrashort pulseExcitationSpin-½

description

By comparing femtosecond laser pulse induced ferro- and antiferromagnetic dynamics in one and the same material - metallic dysprosium - we show both to behave fundamentally different. Antiferromagnetic order is considerably faster and much more efficiently manipulated by optical excitation than its ferromagnetic counterpart. We assign the fast and extremely efficient process in the antiferromagnet to an interatomic transfer of angular momentum within the spin system. Our findings do not only reveal this angular momentum transfer channel effective in antiferromagnets and other magnetic structures with non-parallel spin alignment, they also point out a possible route towards energy-efficient spin manipulation for magnetic devices.

https://dx.doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1703.03689