Collective magnetization dynamics in ferromagnetic (Ga,Mn)As mediated by photoexcited carriers

Hang Li, Xinyu Liu, Ying-Yuan Zhou, Jacek K. Furdyna, and Xinhui Zhang

Phys. Rev. B 91, 195204 – Published 19 May 2015

Abstract

We present a study of photoexcited magnetization dynamics in ferromagnetic (Ga,Mn)As films observed by time-resolved magneto-optical measurements. The magnetization precession triggered by linearly polarized optical pulses in the absence of an external field shows a strong dependence on photon frequency when the photoexcitation energy approaches the band edge of (Ga,Mn)As. This can be understood in terms of magnetic anisotropy modulation by both laser heating of the sample and by hole-induced nonthermal paths. Our findings provide a means for identifying the transition of laser-triggered magnetization dynamics from thermal to nonthermal mechanisms, a result that is of importance for ultrafast optical spin manipulation in ferromagnetic materials via nonthermal paths.

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Received 28 December 2014
Revised 27 March 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.91.195204

Authors & Affiliations

Hang Li¹, Xinyu Liu², Ying-Yuan Zhou^2,*, Jacek K. Furdyna², and Xinhui Zhang^1,†

¹State Key Laboratory for Superlattices and Microstructures, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083, China
²Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA

^*Present address: Shanghai Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Solid-State Lighting, Shanghai, China.
^†xinhuiz@semi.ac.cn

Manipulating femtosecond spin-orbit torques with laser pulse sequences to control magnetic memory states and ringing

P. C. Lingos, J. Wang, and I. E. Perakis

Phys. Rev. B 91, 195203 (2015)

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Vol. 91, Iss. 19 — 15 May 2015

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Physical Review B

covering condensed matter and materials physics