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We report strong amplification of photo-magnetic spin precession in Co-doped YIG employing a surface plasmon excitation in a metal-dielectric magneto-plasmonic crystal. Plasmonic enhancement is accompanied by the localization of the excitation within the 300~nm-thick layer inside the transparent dielectric garnet. Experimental results are nicely reproduced by numerical simulations of the photo-magnetic excitation. Our findings demonstrate the magneto-plasmonic concept of subwavelength localization and amplification of the photo-magnetic excitation in dielectric YIG:Co and open up a path to all-optical magnetization switching below diffraction limit with energy efficiency approaching the fundamental limit for magnetic memories., 10 pages, 3 figures

We demonstrate surface plasmon-assisted control of a photo-magnetic spin precession phase in hybrid noble metal–dielectric magneto-plasmonic crystals. The plasmon-driven photo-magnetic excitation of the spin precession in the dielectric was performed by means of a time-resolved magneto-optical method in the near-infrared spectral range. We show, both experimentally and numerically, that a surface plasmon-polariton resonance results in the phase reversal of the spin precession. We discuss the similarity of plasmonic excitations in metal–dielectric bilayers to the action of photo-magnetic stimuli with orthogonal linear polarization in dielectrics. These results demonstrate rich possibilities of plasmonic excitations beyond conventional enhancement of the electric field intensity and indicate high promise of magneto-plasmonics for photo-magnetism at the nanoscale.

We report on the dynamics of laser-induced magnetization in magnetic ribbons using the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect. Damped oscillations representing precessional motion of the magnetization vector are observed in a $\mathrm{Co}$-rich ribbon. The frequency and amplitude of these oscillations depend on the fluence of the pump laser pulse and the external magnetic field. With an anisotropy factor defined by the effective field of the magnetic anisotropy, we demonstrate that the frequency of the ferromagnetic mode activated by the laser pulses is close to the frequency of the giant magnetoimpedance response. These findings provide an opportunity to investigate the magnetoimpedance effect in the gigahertz frequency range using ultrashort laser pulses and are particularly interesting for the development of broadband sensor devices. Furthermore, our results link laser-induced magnetization dynamics with magnetoresistive sensing techniques, thus opening up the supergigahertz domain to magnetoimpedance studies.

We study numerically plasmonic localization and enhancement of the photo-magnetic excitation in metal-garnet nanostructures with surface plasmons excited at the opposite interfaces of the metallic layer. Contrary to intuitive expectations, the resonance at the metal/air interface results in the highest photo-magnetic excitation efficiency. Our findings highlight the key role of the phase shift between the electric field components inside the garnet layer. A comprehensive analysis of the optical losses reveals the importance of absorption in the photo-magnetic dielectric. These results provide a fruitful perspective for future experiments on metal-dielectric photo-magnetic systems towards all-optical magnetization switching at the nanoscale.

Ultrafast all-optical control of spins with femtosecond laser pulses is one of the hot topics at the crossroads of photonics and magnetism with a direct impact on future magnetic recording. Unveiling light-assisted recording mechanisms for an increase of the bit density beyond the diffraction limit without excessive heating of the recording medium is an open challenge. Here we show that surface plasmon-polaritons in hybrid metal-dielectric structures can provide spatial confinement of the inverse Faraday effect, mediating the excitation of localized coherent spin precession with 0.41 THz frequency. We demonstrate a two orders of magnitude enhancement of the excitation efficiency at the surface plasmon resonance within the 100 nm layer in dielectric garnet. Our findings broaden the horizons of ultrafast spin-plasmonics and open pathways towards non-thermal opto-magnetic recording at the nano-scale.

Surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs), the surface-bound electromagnetic modes of a polar material resulting from the coupling of light with optic phonons, offer immense technological opportunities for nanophotonics in the infrared (IR) spectral region. However, once a particular material is chosen, the SPhP characteristics are fixed by the spectral positions of the optic phonon frequencies. Here, we provide a demonstration of how the frequency of these optic phonons can be altered by employing atomic-scale superlattices (SLs) of polar semiconductors using AlN/GaN SLs as an example. Using second harmonic generation (SHG) spectroscopy, we show that the optic phonon frequencies of the SLs exhibit a strong dependence on the layer thicknesses of the constituent materials. Furthermore, new vibrational modes emerge that are confined to the layers, while others are centered at the AlN/GaN interfaces. As the IR dielectric function is governed by the optic phonon behavior in polar materials, controlling the optic phonons provides a means to induce and potentially design a dielectric function distinct from the constituent materials and from the effective-medium approximation of the SL. We show that atomic-scale AlN/GaN SLs instead have multiple Reststrahlen bands featuring spectral regions that exhibit either normal or extreme hyperbolic dispersion with both positive and negative permittivities dispersing rapidly with frequency. Apart from the ability to engineer the SPhP properties, SL structures may also lead to multifunctional devices that combine the mechanical, electrical, thermal, or optoelectronic functionality of the constituent layers. We propose that this effort is another step toward realizing user-defined, actively tunable IR optics and sources.

We demonstrate a novel method for the excitation of sizable magneto-optical effects in Au by means of the laser-induced injection of hot spin-polarized electrons in Au/Fe/MgO(0 0 1) heterostructures. It is based on the energy- and spin-dependent electron transmittance of Fe/Au interface which acts as a spin filter for non-thermalized electrons optically excited in Fe. We show that after crossing the interface, majority electrons propagate through the Au layer with the velocity on the order of 1 nm fs−1 (close to the Fermi velocity) and the decay length on the order of 100 nm. Featuring ultrafast functionality and requiring no strong external magnetic fields, spin injection results in a distinct magneto-optical response of Au. We develop a formalism based on the phase of the transient complex MOKE response and demonstrate its robustness in a plethora of experimental and theoretical MOKE studies on Au, including our ab initio calculations. Our work introduces a flexible tool to manipulate magneto-optical properties of metals on the femtosecond timescale that holds high potential for active magneto-photonics, plasmonics, and spintronics.

We analyze ultrafast electron dynamics in the time domain upon optical excitation of propagating surface plasmon-polaritons (SPs) in metal-dielectric heterostructures. Developing a kinetic model where both local and non-local electron relaxation in metals are included, we identify relevant timescales and extend the existing non-equilibrium electron dynamics framework onto the case of collective electronic excitations. The experimental data obtained in two distinct series of pump-probe measurements (with varied pump wavelength and angle of incidence) demonstrate SP-driven, one order of magnitude enhanced efficiency of the hot electron generation and the fourfold (up to 200 fs) slowdown of their non-local relaxation at the SP resonance. We discuss the perspectives of the SP-enabled manipulation of the non-equilibrium electron population lying at the crossover of photonics and ultrafast spintronics., Comment: 4 figures

The nonlinear magneto-plasmonics aims to utilize plasmonic excitations to control the mechanisms and taylor the efficiencies of the non-linear light frequency conversion at the nanoscale. We investigate the mechanisms of magnetic second harmonic generation in hybrid gold-cobalt-silver multilayer structures, which support propagating surface plasmon polaritons at both fundamental and second harmonic frequencies. Using magneto-optical spectroscopy in Kretschmann geometry, we show that the huge magneto-optical modulation of the second harmonic intensity is dominated by the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons at the second harmonic frequency, as shown by tuning the optical wavelength over the spectral region of strong plasmonic dispersion. Our proof-of-principle experiment highlights bright prospects of nonlinear magneto-plasmonics and contributes to the general understanding of the nonlinear optics of magnetic surfaces and interfaces., Main Manuscript: 5 pages, 3 figures. Supplementary Information: 10 pages, 7 figures

Understanding the transfer of spin angular momentum is essential in modern magnetism research. A model case is the generation of magnons in magnetic insulators by heating an adjacent metal film. Here, we reveal the initial steps of this spin Seebeck effect with, 14 pages, 5 figures

We experimentally investigate second harmonic generation from strongly coupled localized and propagative phonon polariton modes in arrays of silicon carbide nanopillars. Our results clearly demonstrate the hybrid nature of the system's eigenmodes and distinct manifestation of strong coupling in the linear and nonlinear response. While in linear reflectivity the intensity of the two strongly-coupled branches is essentially symmetric and well explained by their respective localized or propagative components, the second harmonic signal presents a strong asymmetry. Analyzing it in detail, we reveal the importance of interference effects between the nonlinear polarization terms originating in the bulk and in the phonon polariton modes, respectively., 7 pages, 4 figures

In this paper, we discuss a micromagnetic modeling approach to describe the ultrafast spin-transfer torque excitation of coherent and incoherent magnons on the nanoscale. Implementing the action of a femtosecond spin current pulse entering an orthogonally magnetized thin ferromagnetic film, we reproduce recent experimental results and reveal the factors responsible for the unequal excitation efficiency of various spin waves. Our findings are in an excellent agreement with the results of an analytical description of spin-wave excitation based on classical kinetic equations. Furthermore, we suggest an experimental design allowing for the excitation of laterally propagating spin waves beyond the optical diffraction limit. Our findings demonstrate that the classical micromagnetic picture retains its predictive and interpretative power for modeling the reaction of the magnetization on dynamical stimuli that reside on femtosecond temporal and nanometer spatial scales.

Immense optical field enhancement was predicted to occur for the Berreman mode in ultrathin films at frequencies in the vicinity of epsilon near zero (ENZ). Here, we report the first experimental proof of this prediction in the mid-infrared by probing the resonantly enhanced second harmonic generation (SHG) at the longitudinal optic phonon frequency from a deeply subwavelength-thin aluminum nitride (AlN) film. Employing a transfer matrix formalism, we show that the field enhancement is completely localized inside the AlN layer, revealing that the observed SHG signal of the Berreman mode is solely generated in the AlN film. Our results demonstrate that ENZ Berreman modes in intrinsically low-loss polar dielectric crystals constitute a promising platform for nonlinear nanophotonic applications.

Analogous to surface plasmon polaritons in metals, polar dielectrics support surface phonon polaritons (SPhP) in the mid infrared (MIR) spectral region. In contrast to their plasmonic counterpart, however, SPhPs exhibit much longer lifetimes, and hence constitute a promising alternative in the development of nanophotonics. Employing an MIR free-electron laser, we here experimentally reveal resonant second harmonic generation from SPhPs, excited in the Otto geometry for prism coupling. In a second system featuring an ultrathin layer on top of the SPhP active material, we observe strong coupling of the bulk SPhP to the epsilon near zero mode supported by the thin layer. Our experimental findings are corroborated using a specifically developed matrix formalism for anisotropic multilayer wave propagation.

We report the first observation of epsilon near zero (ENZ) phonon polaritons in an ultrathin AlN film fully hybridized with surface phonon polaritons (SPhP) supported by the adjacent SiC substrate. Employing a strong coupling model for the analysis of the dispersion and electric field distribution in these hybridized modes, we show that they share the most prominent features of the two precursor modes. The novel ENZ-SPhP coupled polaritons with a highly propagative character and deeply sub-wavelength light confinement can be utilized as building blocks for future infrared and terahertz (THz) nanophotonic integration and communication devices.

Representing the future of spintronics, femtosecond spin current (SC) pulses constitute a versatile tool to transfer spin and control magnetization on the ultrafast timescale. It is therefore of paramount importance to understand the kinetics of these pulses and the fundamentals of their interaction with magnetized media. In our work, we demonstrate the key role of interfaces for the SC dynamics in Fe/Au/Fe multilayers. In particular, we argue that both (i) demagnetization caused by a pulse of hot electrons and (ii) spin transfer torque exerted by the orthogonal to the Fe magnetization projection of magnetic moment delivered by SC pulse are localized in the vicinity of the Fe/Au interface. We analyze both processes in details, showing that the SC-driven excitation of the sub-THz spin wave dynamics in Fe film is enabled by the spatial confinement of the exerted spin transfer torque. Moreover, a pulse of hot electrons leads to the efficient demagnetization of the Fe film. By disentangling the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) transients we demonstrate the strong spatial non-uniformity of this demagnetization. We argue that simultaneous recording of transient MOKE rotation and ellipticity is crucial for drawing such conclusions. Our findings have a twofold impact: firstly, they illustrate rich opportunities of utilizing SC pulses for manipulation of magnetization in ferromagnets and, secondly, they highlight the importance of spatial localization for understanding the ultrafast spin dynamics in multilayers.

Using the sensitivity of magneto-induced second harmonic generation to spin currents (SC), we demonstrate in Fe/Au/Fe/MgO(001) pseudo spin valves the generation of 250 fs-long SC pulses. Their temporal profile indicates that superdiffusive hot electron transport across a sub-100~nm Au layer is close to the ballistic limit and the pulse duration is primarily determined by the thermalization time of laser-excited hot carriers in Fe. Considering the calculated spin-dependent Fe/Au interface transmittance we conclude that a non-thermal spin-dependent Seebeck effect is responsible for the generation of ultrashort SC pulses. We also show that hot electron spins rotate upon interaction with non-collinear magnetization at the Au/Fe interface, which holds high potential for future spintronic devices., 5 pages, 4 figures

Mid-infrared nanophotonics can be realized using subdiffractional light localization and field enhancement with surface phonon polaritons in polar dielectric materials. We experimentally demonstrate second-harmonic generation due to the optical field enhancement from critically coupled surface phonon polaritons at the 6H-SiC−air interface, employing an infrared free-electron laser for intense, tunable, and narrowband mid-infrared excitation. Critical coupling to the surface polaritons is achieved using a prism in the Otto geometry with adjustable width of the air gap, providing a contact-free access to the polariton dispersion with full control over the excitation conditions. The calculated reflectivity and second-harmonic spectra reproduce the complete experimental data set with high accuracy, allowing for a quantification of the optical field enhancement. We also reveal the mechanism for low out-coupling efficiency of the second-harmonic light in the Otto geometry. Perspectives on surface phonon polariton-based nonlinear sensing and nonlinear waveguide coupling are discussed.

We discuss fundamental aspects of laser-induced ultrafast demagnetization probed by the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE). Studying thin Fe films on MgO substrate in the absence of electronic transport, we demonstrate how to disentangle pump-induced variations of magnetization and magneto-optical coefficients. We provide a mathematical formalism for retrieving genuine laser-induced magnetization dynamics and discuss its applicability in real experimental situations. We further stress the importance of temporal resolution achieved in the experiments and argue that measurements of both time-resolved MOKE rotation and ellipticity are needed for the correct assessment of magnetization dynamics on sub-picosecond timescales. The framework developed here sheds light onto the details of the time-resolved MOKE technique and contributes to the understanding of the interplay between ultrafast laser-induced optical and magnetic effects.

Further development of spintronics requires miniaturization and reduction of characteristic timescales of spin dynamics combining the nanometer spatial and femtosecond temporal ranges. These demands shift the focus of interest towards the fundamental open question of the interaction of femtosecond spin current (SC) pulses with a ferromagnet (FM). The spatio-temporal properties of the spin transfer torque (STT) exerted by ultrashort SC pulses on the FM open the time domain for studying STT fingerprint on spatially non-uniform magnetization dynamics. Using the sensitivity of magneto-induced second harmonic generation to SC, we develop technique for SC monitoring. With 20 fs resolution, we demonstrate the generation of 250 fs-long SC pulses in Fe/Au/Fe/MgO(001) structures. Their temporal profile indicates (i) nearly-ballistic hot electron transport in Au and (ii) that the pulse duration is primarily determined by the thermalization time of laser-excited hot carriers in Fe. Together with strongly spin-dependent Fe/Au interface transmission calculated for these carriers, this suggests the non-thermal spin-dependent Seebeck effect dominating the generation of ultrashort SC pulses. The analysis of SC transmission/reflection at the Au/Fe interface shows that hot electron spins orthogonal to the Fe magnetization rotate gaining huge parallel (anti-parallel) projection in transmitted (reflected) SC. This is accompanied by a STT-induced perturbation of the magnetization localized at the interface, which excites the inhomogeneous high-frequency spin dynamics in the FM. Time-resolved magneto-optical studies reveal the excitation of several standing spin wave modes in the Fe film with their spectrum extending up to 0.6 THz and indicating the STT spatial confinement to 2 nm.

We study the effects of crystal anisotropy on optical phonon resonances in the second harmonic generation (SHG) from silicon carbide (SiC) in its Reststrahl region. By comparing experiments and simulations for isotropic 3C-SiC and anisotropic 4H-SiC in two crystal cuts, we identify several pronounced effects in the nonlinear response which arise solely from the crystal anisotropy. Specifically, we demonstrate that the axial and planar transverse optical phonon resonances selectively and exclusively appear in the corresponding tensor elements of the nonlinear susceptibility, enabling observation of an intense SHG peak originating from a weak phonon mode due to zone-folding along the c-axis of 4H-SiC. Similarly, we identify an anisotropy factor $\zeta \equiv \epsilon_\perp/\epsilon_\parallel$ responsible for a steep enhancement of the transmitted fundamental fields at the axial longitudinal optical phonon frequency, resulting in strongly enhanced SHG. We develop a general recipe to extract all these features that is directly applicable to all wurtzite-structure polar dielectrics, where a very similar behavior is expected. Our model study illustrates the opportunities for utilizing the crystal anisotropy for selectively enhancing nonlinear-optical effects in polar dielectrics, which could potentially be extended to built-in anisotropy in artificially designed hybrid materials.

We report a strong angular asymmetry of optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) in plasmonic crystals formed by an Au grating on top of an anisotropic bismuth-thulium iron garnet (BTIG) film. We found that a weak anisotropy-driven angular SHG asymmetry of the crystalline BTIG is resonantly enhanced and reaches 95% as the surface plasmon polariton (SPP) is excited at the Au/BTIG interface. The asymmetry introduced by an interference of the odd and even (with respect to the angle of incidence) SHG fields is attributed to the anisotropy of the BTIG film. The angular SHG spectra are reproduced using a simple model with a resonant SPP-induced SHG contribution from the anisotropic Au/BTIG interface. The observed asymmetry of the SHG provides valuable insight into the mechanisms of nonlinear plasmonics and can noticeably expand its abilities regarding active light conversion and manipulation.

We experimentally demonstrate mid-infrared second harmonic generation frequency-domain spectroscopy as a novel, highly sensitive approach to investigate the degree of sub-wavelength localization of surface phonon polaritons in SiC nanopillars.

We report on strong enhancement of mid-infrared second harmonic generation (SHG) from SiC nanopillars due to the resonant excitation of localized surface phonon-polaritons within the Reststrahlen band. The magnitude of the SHG peak at the monopole mode experiences a strong dependence on the resonant frequency beyond that described by the field localization degree and the dispersion of linear and nonlinear-optical SiC properties. Comparing the results for the identical nanostructures made of 4H and 6H SiC polytypes, we demonstrate the interplay of localized surface phonon polaritons with zone-folded weak phonon modes of the anisotropic crystal. Tuning the monopole mode in and out of the region where the zone-folded phonon is excited in 6H-SiC, we observe a prominent increase of the already monopole-enhanced SHG output when the two modes are coupled. Envisioning this interplay as one of the showcase features of mid-infrared nonlinear nanophononics, we discuss its prospects for the effective engineering of nonlinear-optical materials with desired properties in the infrared spectral range., Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures

Nonlinear magneto-optical properties of all-garnet magnetophotonic crystals composed of alternating layers of ferromagnetic Bi 3 Fe 5 O 12 (BIG) and Sm 3 Ga 5 O 12 quarter-wavelength layers with a half-wavelength BIG microcavity mode are presented. The samples are grown by rf-magnetron sputtering on non-magnetic GGG substrate. Many-fold enhancement of the magnetization-induced effects in second-harmonic generation (SHG) as compared with linear magneto-optical effects are observed: the SHG magnetic contrast up to 50% and magnetization-induced rotation of the polarization plane of about 90° are measured at the resonance microcavity wavelengh of λ =779 nm.

The ultrafast laser-induced response of spins and charges in $\mathrm{CoFe}/{\mathrm{Al}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ multilayers are studied using THz and optical pump-probe spectroscopies. We demonstrate the possibility of ultrafast manipulation of the transport and magnetic properties of the multilayers with femtosecond laser excitation. In particular, using time-resolved THz transmission experiments we found that such an excitation leads to a rapid increase of the THz transmission (i.e., electric resistivity). Our experiments also reveal that femtosecond laser excitation results in the emission of broadband THz radiation. To reveal the origin of the emitted THz radiation, we performed magnetic-dependent measurements of the THz emission. We also compared the observed electric field of the THz radiation to calculations performed using subpicosecond laser-induced demagnetization measurements. The good agreement between the experimentally obtained spectra and the calculations corroborates that the measured THz emission originates from the demagnetization process.

Laser-induced magnetisation dynamics of a La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/SrRuO3 superlattice is studied by means of a single-colour optical pump-probe technique. Significant differences in the magnetisation dynamics of a superlattice with respect to the single layers of constituent materials are demonstrated. Below the Curie temperature TC of SrRuO3, laser-induced ultrafast demagnetisation is found to be followed by a uniform precession of the magnetisation around its new equilibrium. The data is described within a simple model based on a displacive excitation of a precessional magnetisation dynamics. The model is shown to give a good fit to the experimental data. As the initial temperature approaches TC, the oscillations get suppressed and eventually vanish. The magnetisation dynamics is shown to depend on whether the two distinct magnetisation vectors in the superlattice are ferromagnetically or antiferromagnetically aligned

Magnetic field control over the optical switching is demonstrated for a nonlinear all-garnet magnetophotonic crystal with a microcavity (MC) layer possessing both third-order Kerr nonlinearity and magnetooptical activity. A significant enhancement of the effective refractive index of the microcavity layer is observed, that results in the light-induced spectral shift of the MC mode of 2 nm. It is shown that application of the external magnetic field leads to an increase of switching contrast by a factor of two. Possible mechanisms of photorefractive effect involved in the optical switching in all-garnet magnetophotonic crystals are discussed.

Combining femtosecond transmission measurements with picosecond time-resolved photo-emission electron microscopy, both using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, new insights into the all-optical magnetization switching mechanism in GdFe based rare-earth transition metal ferrimagnetic alloys is provided, with emphasis on the role played by the magnetization compensation temperature TM of the alloy.

The goal of this work is to define conditions for the most efficient ultrafast optical control of magnetism. Results show that tuning the composition of the GdFeCo alloys towards the magnetization compensation point as well as reducing the sizes of structures allowing one to reduce the energy of the laser pulse required for ultrafast demagnetization or magnetization reversal.

We studied magnetization dynamics in the amorphous light rare earth-transition metal compound NdFeCo. We report a two step demagnetization process. Furthermore, an unusual overshooting behaviour is observed that can be linked to the particular magnetic structure of the sample.

Ultrafast optical control of magnetization dynamics based on interference of coherent spin–wave resonances and limited to media with long spin coherence times. Here we report that femtosecond laser pulse may trigger oscillations of the magneto-crystalline anisotropy and thus induce long-living magnetization oscillations.

Magnetic materials with high magnetic coercivity (Hc), magnetic anisotropy (Ku) and low Gilbert damping (α) are of great importance for future spintronics devices. For instance, for spin-transfer-torque (STT) memory devices low α and high Ku are desired. Such a combination of material properties includes a built in contradiction since both Ku and α are dependent on the spin-orbit interaction (SO); a high Ku material is expected to have a high α. However, recent experimental investigations of Mn3-xGa, a material exhibiting high Curie temperature (Tc) > 700 K and (out-of-plane) perpendicular anisotropy, have shown that such a contradictorily low α and high Ku material exists.

Using pump-probe optical polarimetry we demonstrate that femtosecond laser excitation of a 2D regular lattice of magnetic nanodots effectively changes the optical anisotropy of the array. Study of the dynamics of the femtosecond laser-induced anisotropy reveals four main mechanisms occurring in the electronic, spin, and lattice subsystems. Below 1 ps, a strong Kerr-like nonlinearity causes linear birefringence, with its axis directed along the electric field of the linearly polarized femtosecond laser pump pulse. In addition, a long-living linear birefringence is also induced due to slowly relaxing excitations. Also below 1 ps, ultrafast laser-induced demagnetization of Co leads to a partial breakdown of the circular birefringence of the magnetic nanodots. On the timescale up to 300 ps, optically triggered acoustic modes of the dots drive oscillations of the linear optical birefringence. During this process, the oscillations damp while transferring their energy into acoustic modes of the substrate. On the nanosecond timescale, the signal is dominated by acoustic oscillations at the surface of the substrate.

Coherent control over the magnetization state of the rare-earth orthoferrite ErFeO3 is achieved by nonlinear lattice excitation via mid-infrared laser pulses. This low-dissipative approach enables new pathways in light-driven manipulation of magnetic materials.

The ability of a femtosecond laser pulse to manipulate and reverse the magnetization in a ferrimagnetic Gd24Fe66.5Co9.5 thin film was studied experimentally as a function of temperature. For a fixed energy of the laser pulse, the dynamics of magnetization showed different behavior depending on whether the sample temperature was below or above the magnetization compensation point (T M ). The conditions for full ultrafast demagnetization and magnetization reversal were easily achieved below T M , while the same laser excitation caused just 50% demagnetization above T M . This interesting change in magnetization dynamics is qualitatively explained in terms of effective changes in the magnitudes of magnetizations of atomic sublattices.

Surface plasma resonance (SPR) excitation in a Co-based two-dimensional magnetoplasmonic crystal was found to strongly enhance the second-harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency. Large changes in the phase shift between magnetic and nonmagnetic SHG contributions were observed in the transversal Kerr effect as a function of the incidence angle. The activation of a nonlocal quadrupole mechanism of the magnetic SHG due to the SPR excitation was found to lead to an unusual phase behavior in the vicinity of the resonance.

Laser-induced ultrafast demagnetization in ferrimagnetic Gd${}_{x}$Fe${}_{100\ensuremath{-}x\ensuremath{-}y}$Co${}_{y}$ thin films was studied experimentally as a function of Gd concentration ($x=18$, 22, 24, 30%, and $y\ensuremath{\approx}9$--10%), pump fluence, and sample temperature. The results showed that the conditions for full demagnetization at the ultrafast time scale in Gd${}_{x}$Fe${}_{100\ensuremath{-}x\ensuremath{-}y}$Co${}_{y}$ thin metal films are easily achieved below the magnetization compensation point (${T}_{M}$) and, furthermore, when the ratio between Gd and Fe concentrations is not too large. Consequently, the ultrafast demagnetization strongly depends on the initial temperature of these alloys compared to their ${T}_{M}$. These results provide further insight into the unconventional ultrafast dynamics of multisublattice metallic magnets.

Time-resolved magneto-optical imaging of laser-excited rare-earth orthoferrite $(\mathrm{SmPr}){\mathrm{FeO}}_{3}$ demonstrates that a single 60 fs circularly polarized laser pulse is capable of creating a magnetic domain on a picosecond time scale with a magnetization direction determined by the helicity of light. Depending on the light intensity and sample temperature, pulses of the same helicity can create domains with opposite magnetizations. We argue that this phenomenon relies on a twofold effect of light which (i) instantaneously excites coherent low-amplitude spin precession and (ii) triggers a spin reorientation phase transition. The former dynamically breaks the equivalence between two otherwise degenerate states with opposite magnetizations in the high-temperature phase and thus controls the route of the phase transition.

Hot carrier-induced spin dynamics is analyzed in epitaxial Au=Fe=MgOð001Þ by a time domain approach. We excite a spin current pulse in Fe by 35 fs laser pulses. The transient spin polarization, which is probed at the Au surface by optical second harmonic generation, changes its sign after a few hundred femtoseconds. This is explained by a competition of ballistic and diffusive propagation considering energy-dependent hot carrier relaxation rates. In addition, we observe the decay of the spin polarization within 1 ps, which is associated with the hot carrier spin relaxation time in Au.

Hot carrier-induced spin dynamics is analyzed in epitaxial Au/Fe/MgO(001) by a time domain approach. We excite a spin current pulse in Fe by 35 fs laser pulses. The transient spin polarization, which is probed at the Au surface by optical second harmonic generation, changes its sign after a few hundred femtoseconds. This is explained by a competition of ballistic and diffusive propagation considering energy-dependent hot carrier relaxation rates. In addition, we observe the decay of the spin polarization within 1 ps, which is associated with the hot carrier spin relaxation time in Au.

Nonlinear-optical manifestations of the Borrmann effect that are consequences of the spectral dependence of the spatial distributions of the electromagnetic field in a structure are observed in one-dimensional photonic crystals. The spectrum of the light self-focusing effect corresponding to the propagation-matrix calculations has been measured near the edge of the photonic gap., 4 pages, 3 figures, published in russian at Pis'ma v Zhurnal Eksperimental'noi i Teoreticheskoi Fiziki, 2008, Vol. 87, No. 8, pp. 461-464

A vertical hybrid microcavity is fabricated by sandwiching a polymer layer between distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) composed of porous silicon photonic crystals. The DBRs are made by electrochemical etching of Si and consist of alternating porous Si layers of high and low porosity, the top DBR being a freestanding film. The hybrid microcavity demonstrates a deep microcavity mode placed within a 200 nm wide photonic band gap, and reveals a many-fold enhancement of the third-order nonlinearity of the microcavity layer. The fabrication technique employed is rather simple, enabling the use of a variety of functional materials as the microcavity spacer.

The Reststrahl spectral region of silicon carbide has recently attracted much attention owing to its potential for mid-infrared nanophotonic applications based on surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs). Studies of optical phonon resonances responsible for surface polariton formation, however, have so far been limited to linear optics. In this Letter, we report the first nonlinear optical investigation of the Reststrahl region of SiC, employing an infrared free-electron laser to perform second harmonic generation (SHG) spectroscopy. We observe two distinct resonance features in the SHG spectra, one attributed to resonant enhancement of the nonlinear susceptibility χ(2) and the other due to a resonance in the Fresnel transmission. Our work clearly demonstrates high sensitivity of mid-infrared SHG to phonon-driven phenomena and opens a route to studying nonlinear effects in nanophotonic structures based on SPhPs.

Non-thermal, optical magnetization control and switching offers new opportunities for data recording. Future applications require not only temporal, but also spatial control of magnetization at the nanoscale, which can be realized using surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) — electromagnetic modes highly localized at metal/dielectric interfaces. Here, promising materials are hybrid structures with ferromagnetic iron garnets [1-3], where the laser-induced magnetization switching can be realized using the photomagnetism or the inverse Faraday effect. Recent investigations have shown that plasmonic and magnetic effects can be effectively combined in hybrid magnetoplasmonic crystals consisting of a garnet with a noble metal grating on top (Fig. 1, a) [4, 5]. These structures support SPPs at both sides of the metal grating [6], providing flexibility in the localization of the excitation at the nanoscale and enabling local SPP-assisted manipulation of magnetization. Combining spatial nanoscale with sub-picosecond time resolution, magneto-plasmonics is a promising playground for novel future devices utilizing SPPs for transmitting and recording the magnetically stored data.