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  • Letter
  • Open Access

Ultrafast element- and depth-resolved magnetization dynamics probed by transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect spectroscopy in the soft x-ray range

Martin Hennecke1,*, Daniel Schick1,†, Themistoklis Sidiropoulos1, Felix Willems1, Anke Heilmann1, Martin Bock1, Lutz Ehrentraut1, Dieter Engel1, Piet Hessing1 et al.

Bastian Pfau1, Martin Schmidbauer2, Andreas Furchner3,4, Matthias Schnuerer1, Clemens von Korff Schmising1, and Stefan Eisebitt1,5

  • 1Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie, Max-Born-Straße 2A, 12489 Berlin, Germany
  • 2Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung, Max-Born-Straße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
  • 3Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Division Energy and Information, Schwarzschildstraße 8, 12489 Berlin, Germany
  • 4Department Berlin, Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften-ISAS-e.V., Schwarzschildstraße 8, 12489 Berlin, Germany
  • 5Institut für Optik und Atomare Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17, Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany

  • *hennecke@mbi-berlin.de
  • †schick@mbi-berlin.de
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Phys. Rev. Research 4, L022062 – Published 21 June, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.4.L022062

Abstract

We report on time- and angle-resolved transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect spectroscopy in the soft x-ray range that, by analysis via polarization-dependent magnetic scattering simulations, allows us to determine the spatiotemporal and element-specific evolution of femtosecond laser-induced spin dynamics in nanostructured magnetic materials. In a ferrimagnetic GdFe thin-film system, we correlate a reshaping spectrum of the magneto-optical Kerr signal to depth-dependent magnetization dynamics and disentangle contributions due to nonequilibrium electron transport and nanoscale heat diffusion on their intrinsic timescales. Our Letter provides a quantitative insight into light-driven spin dynamics occurring at buried interfaces of complex magnetic heterostructures, which can be tailored and functionalized for future optospintronic devices.

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Phys. Rev. Research 4, L022062– Published 21 June, 2022
  • Received 12 October 2021
  • Revised 13 May 2022
  • Accepted 17 May 2022
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