Explaining the paradoxical diversity of ultrafast laser-induced demagnetization
Open accessAbstract
Pulsed-laser-induced quenching of ferromagnetic order has intrigued researchers since pioneering works in the 1990s. It was reported that demagnetization in gadolinium proceeds within 100 ps, but three orders of magnitude faster in ferromagnetic transition metals such as nickel. Here we show that a model based on electron-phonon-mediated spin-flip scattering explains both timescales on equal footing. Our interpretation is supported by ab initio estimates of the spin-flip scattering probability, and experimental fluence dependencies are shown to agree perfectly with predictions. A phase diagram is constructed in which two classes of laser-induced magnetization dynamics can be distinguished, where the ratio of the Curie temperature to the atomic magnetic moment turns out to have a crucial role. We conclude that the ultrafast magnetization dynamics can be well described disregarding highly excited electronic states, merely considering the thermalized electron system.
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- Authors
- Koopmans, B., Malinowski, G., Dalla Longa, F., Steiauf, D., Fähnle, M., Roth, T., Cinchetti, M., & Aeschlimann, M.
- Affiliations
- Eindhoven University of Technology (NL)
- Max Planck Society (DE)
- University of Kaiserslautern (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Koopmans, B.
- Venue
- Nature Materials
- Published
- 2009-12-13
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 259-265
- ISSN
- 1476-1122 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4660
- OpenAlex
- W2163103630
- Cited by
- 957
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 51 · 2025: 57 · 2024: 65 · 2023: 92 · 2022: 90 · 2021: 73 · 2020: 82 · 2019: 48 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 64 · 2016: 54 · 2015: 50 · 2014: 50 · 2013: 45 · 2012: 39
- FWCI
- 15.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hal.science
- Licence
- Locations
- Nature Materials (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- TU/e Research Portal (submittedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Magnetic properties of thin films
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Condensed Matter Physics › Advanced Condensed Matter Physics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Laser-Matter Interactions and Applications
- Keywords
- ultrafast demagnetization, laser-induced demagnetization, ferromagnetic metals, gadolinium, nickel, Curie temperature, atomic magnetic moments, magnetization dynamics, fluence dependence, phase diagram
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