Search

It is found that single-cycle THz electromagnetic fields efficiently excite a GHz spin resonance mode in ferrimagnetic Tm$_3$Fe$_5$O$_{12}$, despite the near absence of GHz spectral components in the exciting THz pulse. By analyzing how the efficiency of excitation depends on the orientation and strength of the THz electric field, we show that it can be explained in terms of the nonlinear THz inverse Cotton-Mouton effect. Here, the THz electric field gets effectively rectified and acts on the ferrimagnetic spins as a uni-polar effective magnetic field pulse. This interpretation is confirmed by a theoretical model based on the phenomenological analysis of the effective magnetic field, combined with the equations of motion derived from the effective Lagrangian for a ferrimagnet. Moreover, by using the outcome of two-dimensional THz spectroscopy, we conjecture a quantum-mechanical interpretation of the observed effect in terms of stimulated Raman scattering of THz photons by the crystal-field split f-f electronic transitions of Tm$^{3+}$., Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures

Finding efficient and ultrafast ways to control antiferromagnets is believed to be instrumental in unlocking their potential for magnetic devices operating at THz frequencies. Still, it is challenged by the absence of net magnetization in the ground state. Here, we show that the magnetization emerging from a state of coherent spin precession in antiferromagnetic iron borate FeBO$_3$ can be used to enable the nonlinear coupling of light to another, otherwise weakly susceptible, mode of spin precession. This nonlinear mechanism can facilitate conceptually new ways of controlling antiferromagnetism., Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures

The interaction of a single-cycle THz electric field with the topological insulator $\mathrm{MnBi}_2\mathrm{Te}_4$ triggers strongly anharmonic lattice dynamics, promoting fully coherent energy transfer between the otherwise non-interacting Raman-active $E_g$ and infrared (IR)-active $E_u$ phononic modes. Two-dimensional (2D) THz spectroscopy combined with modeling based on the classical equations of motion and symmetry analysis reveals the multi-stage process underlying the excitation of the Raman-active $E_g$ phonon. In this process, the THz electric field first prepares a coherent IR-active $E_u$ phononic state and subsequently interacts with this state to efficiently excite the $E_g$ phonon., Comment: 27 pages, 20 figures

The efficiency of ultrafast excitation of spins in antiferromagnetic $\mathrm{\alpha-Fe_{2}O_{3}}$ using nearly single-cycle THz pulse is studied as a function of the polarization of the THz pulse and the sample temperature. Above the Morin point the most efficient excitation is achieved when the magnetic field of the THz pulse is perpendicular to the antiferromagnetically coupled spins. Using the experimental results and equations of motion for spins, we show that the mechanism of the spin excitation above and below the Morin point relies on magnetic-dipole interaction of the THz magnetic field with spins and the efficiency of the coupling is proportional to the time derivative of the magnetic field.

THz magnetization dynamics is excited in ferrimagnetic thulium iron garnet with a picosecond, single-cycle magnetic field pulse and seen as a high-frequency modulation of the magneto-optical Faraday effect. Data analysis combined with numerical modelling and evaluation of the effective Lagrangian allow us to conclude that the dynamics corresponds to the exchange mode excited by Zeeman interaction of the THz field with the antiferromagnetically coupled spins. We argue that THz-pump IR-probe experiments on ferrimagnets offer a unique tool for quantitative studies of dynamics and mechanisms to control antiferromagnetically coupled spins., Comment: 17 pages, 16 figures

The ultrashort laser excitation of Co/Pt magnetic heterostructures can effectively generate spin and charge currents at the interfaces between magnetic and nonmagnetic layers. The direction of these photocurrents can be controlled by the helicity of the circularly polarized laser light and an external magnetic field. Here, we employ THz time-domain spectroscopy to investigate further the role of interfaces in these photo-galvanic phenomena. In particular, the effects of either Cu or ZnO interlayers on the photocurrents in Co/X/Pt (X = Cu, ZnO) have been studied by varying the thickness of the interlayers up to 5 nm. The results are discussed in terms of spin-diffusion phenomena and interfacial spin-orbit torque., Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables