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MnAs epitaxial thin films on GaAs(001) single crystalline substrates crystallize at room temperature (RT) in a mixture of two crystalline phases with distinct magnetic properties, organized as stripes along the MnAs [0001] direction. This particular morphology is driven by anisotropic epitaxial strain. We elucidate here the physical mechanisms at the origin of size reduction effect on the MnAs crystalline phase transition. We investigated the structural and magnetic changes in MnAs patterned microstructures (confined geometry) when the lateral dimension is reduced to values close to the periodicity and width of the stripes observed in continuous films. The effects of the microstructure’s lateral size, shape and orientation (with respect to the MnAs $$\mathrm{[11}\bar{2}\mathrm{0]}$$ [11 2 ¯ 0] direction) were characterized by local probe synchrotron X-ray diffraction (μ-XRD) using a focused X-ray beam, X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroïsm - Photo Emission Electron Microscopy (XMCD-PEEM) and Low Energy Electron Microscopy (LEEM). Changes in the transition temperature and the crystalline phase distribution inside the microstructures are evidenced and quantitatively measured. The effect of finite size and strain relaxation on the magnetic domain structure is also discussed. Counter-intuitively, we demonstrate here that below a critical microstructure size, bulk MnAs structural and magnetic properties are restored. To support our observations we developed, tested and validated a model based on the size-dependence of the elastic energy and strain relaxation to explain this phase re-distribution in laterally confined geometry.

Clarifying the relation between All-Optical magnetization switching (AOS) [1] and the non-local energy dissipation process, we focus on the contribution from energy dissipation process on depth direction. For this purpose, we research the differently designed structure dependency of created magnetic domain. Its dependency is observed from the reversal phenomena, AOS or the multi-domains by Thermo-Magnetic Nucleation (TMN) in GdFeCo multi-layer thin films. We obserbed these phenomena that is excited by a femtosecond laser pulse on the multilayer: following the stack design hereafter: SiN (60 nm) / $\text{Gd}_{x}(\text{Fe}_{87.5}\text{Co}_{12.5})_{100-x}(l)$ / SiN (m) / AITi (n) / glass sub., (where x is the Gd atomic percent and the {l, m, n} indexes are the thickness in nm of the respective layer (l = 10 ~30 nm, $m$ = 5 or 0 nm, $n$ = 10 or 0 nm) with a polarizing microscope. And $l$ is designed around penetration depth.

Polarization dependent X-ray absorption spectroscopy and microscopy enables the element selective investigation of magnetic systems at the nanoscale. At the Swiss Light Source a photoemission electron microscope is used for the study of a broad variety of systems. Here, a review of recent activities is presented with a focus on instrumental and analytical developments. A new procedure for the 3 dimensional determination of the magnetization vector has been developed, and is demonstrated for GdFeCo microstructures displaying in-plane and out-of-plane domains, and sub-20 nm Fe nanoparticles. The recent progress for measurements in applied magnetic fields is presented and a new set-up for time-resolved measurements employing femtosecond laser pulses is described.

To clarify the relationship between all-optical magnetization switching (AOS) and nonlocal and nonadiabatic energy dissipation process, we focus on the contribution from energy dissipation in the depth direction. Differently designed structure dependence of created magnetic domain is observed from the reversal phenomenon, AOS, or multidomains by thermomagnetic nucleation (TMN) in GdFeCo multilayer thin films. TMN depends on the shared absorbed energy throughout the continuous metallic volume. On the other hand, AOS critically depends on nonadiabatic energy dissipation process with the electron system in sub-picoseconds. Furthermore, the laser fluence dependence of AOS-created domain sizes indicates that the value of irradiated laser fluence threshold per magnetic domain volume is almost constant. However, a lower laser irradiation fluence below 1–2 mW has a larger value and thickness dependence. From these results, we suggest that AOS depends on energy dissipation from the incident surface in the depth direction for a few picoseconds.