Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 54: Spin Excitations I

MA 54.3: Talk

Thursday, March 17, 2011, 15:30–15:45, HSZ 04

Magnetic excitations of atomic systems by femtosecond laser pulses — •Daria Popova, Andreas Bringer, and Stefan Blügel — Peter Grünberg Institut & Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich and JARA, 52425 Jülich, Germany

Ultrafast optical control of the magnetic state of a medium attracts much scientific interest. It opens vistas for the development of novel concepts for high-speed magnetic recording and information processing. Furthermore, it uncovers magnetization dynamics in a strongly out-of-equilibrium regime. A set of experiments has revealed the direct optical control on magnetization via the inverse Faraday effect [1]. In these experiments circularly polarized high-intensity laser pulses at femtosecond time scale are used to excite the magnetic system of the sample. The fundamental mechanisms of the generation of magnetic field by light are still not understood.

In order to get insight into the magnetization dynamics at femtosecond time scales we study theoretically the influence of a subpicosecond laser pulse on the magnetic states of atomic systems. We consider isolated atoms, which are constituents of materials used in experiments, and the ones in a crystal field. We discuss the stimulated Raman-like scattering process, which was suggested to be responsible for the magnetization reversal by light [2].

We are thankful for the support by the FANTOMAS project.

[1] A. Kimel et al., Nature 435, 655 (2005).

[2] F. Hansteen et al., Phys. Rev. B 73, 014421 (2006).