1. Efficient ultrafast field-driven spin current generation for spintronic terahertz frequency conversion
- Author
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Igor Ilyakov, Arne Brataas, Thales V. A. G. de Oliveira, Alexey Ponomaryov, Jan-Christoph Deinert, Olav Hellwig, Jürgen Faßbender, Jürgen Lindner, Ruslan Salikhov, and Sergey Kovalev
- Subjects
Science - Abstract
Abstract Efficient generation and control of spin currents launched by terahertz (THz) radiation with subsequent ultrafast spin-to-charge conversion is the current challenge for the next generation of high-speed communication and data processing units. Here, we demonstrate that THz light can efficiently drive coherent angular momentum transfer in nanometer-thick ferromagnet/heavy-metal heterostructures. This process is non-resonant and does neither require external magnetic fields nor cryogenics. The efficiency of this process is more than one order of magnitude higher as compared to the recently observed THz-induced spin pumping in MnF2 antiferromagnet. The coherently driven spin currents originate from the ultrafast spin Seebeck effect, caused by a THz-induced temperature imbalance in electronic and magnonic temperatures and fast relaxation of the electron-phonon system. Owing to the fact that the electron-phonon relaxation time is comparable with the period of a THz wave, the induced spin current results in THz second harmonic generation and THz optical rectification, providing a spintronic basis for THz frequency mixing and rectifying components.
- Published
- 2023
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