Magnetization Switching in the GdFeCo Films with In-Plane Anisotropy via Femtosecond Laser Pulses

Abstract

Ferrimagnetic rare-earth substituted metal alloys GdFeCo were shown to exhibit the phenomenon of all-optical magnetization switching via femtosecond laser pulses. All-optical magnetization switching has been comprehensively investigated in out-of-plane magnetized GdFeCo films; however, the films with the in-plane magnetic anisotropy have not yet been studied in detail. We report experimental observations of the magnetization switching of in-plane magnetized GdFeCo films by means of the femtosecond laser pulses in the presence of a small magnetic field of about 40 µT. The switching effect has a threshold both in the applied magnetic field and in the light intensity.

Ultrafast all-optical toggle writing of magnetic bits without relying on heat

“…We anticipate that using a train of identical laser pulses and employing the discovered switching mechanism one can toggle the magnetization of iron garnet at the frequency reaching 50 GHz. Such a high amplitude magnetization changes at so high frequency with the minimum heat load, leading to a remarkably small temperature increase of only about 0.6 K, opens up new opportunities in technologically relevant fields such as magnetophotonics 28,29 , magnonics [30][31][32] , superconducting 33 and topological spintronics 34,35 in particular. Further design of photo-sensitive ferrimagnets and antiferromagnets opens a plethora of opportunities for ultrafast and least dissipative magnetic writing with the help of light.…”

Element-selective magnetization states in a Gd23Fe67Co10 alloy, probed by soft X-ray resonant magneto-optical Kerr effect

“…A Gd 23 Fe 67 Co 10 film was grown by magnetron sputtering under an ultrahigh vacuum. 11,12) The sample consisted of stacked layers, SiN(3 nm)/Gd 23 Fe 67 Co 10 (20 nm)/SiN(5 nm), on a Si substrate. The SiN layer (5 nm) was a buffer layer for film growth on the substrate, while the SiN layer (3 nm) was a capping layer designed to chemically protect the Gd 23 Fe 67 Co 10 layer and be thin enough for detecting beam intensity in the MOKE measurement.…”