Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 38: Ultrafast Magnetization Effects II

MA 38.11: Talk

Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 17:45–18:00, POT/0361

Nonlinear spin and orbital Rashba–Edelstein effects induced by a femtosecond laser pulse: Simulations for Au(001) — Oliver Busch, •Franziska Ziolkowski, Börge Göbel, Ingrid Mertig, and Jürgen Henk — Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, 06099 Halle, Germany

Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling gives rise to distinctive surface and interface phenomena, such as spin-momentum locking and spin splitting. In nonequilibrium conditions, it manifests e.g., as the Rashba–Edelstein effect, where an electric current generates a net spin or orbital polarization perpendicular to the current direction. While the steady-state behavior of these effects is well studied, their dynamics on ultrafast timescales remain largely unexplored.

We theoretically investigate the ultrafast spin and orbital Edelstein effects on an Au(001) surface, induced by femtosecond laser excitation [1]. These effects are intrinsic and inherently nonlinear. We simulate the ultrafast electron dynamics in response to the laser pulse by using a real-space tight-binding model combined with unitary time evolution of the density matrix.

Our results reveal pronounced differences between the spin and orbital responses and quantify the resulting charge, spin, and orbital currents, including laser-induced spin and orbital Hall effects. These findings provide insights into ultrafast angular momentum transfer mediated by the light-matter interaction and offer guidance for the design of next-generation spintronic and orbitronic devices.

[1] Busch et al PRR 7, 043023 (2025)

Keywords: ultrafast electron dynamics; nonlinear Rashba-Edelstein effect; Hall effects; tight-binding model; numerical simulation