Dresden 2017 – scientific programme

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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 2: Focus Session: Antiferromagnetic Spintronics

MA 2.5: Talk

Monday, March 20, 2017, 11:30–11:45, HSZ 01

Terahertz spectroscopy of femtosecond spins currents in magnetic heterostructures — •Tom Seifert and Tobias Kampfrath — Fritz Haber Institut, MPG, Berlin, Deutschland

Spin-orbit interaction (SOI) will be of central importance for future spin-based electronics (spintronics) as it permits, for example, the conversion of charge into spin currents and vice versa via the spin Hall effect [1]. It is highly interesting to study spin dynamics at terahertz (THz) frequencies because spintronic devices should eventually operate at THz rates. In our experiments, we employ femtosecond optical pulses to trigger ultrafast spin transport in magnetic thin-film stacks. Due to SOI, the spin current is partially converted into a transverse charge current which is monitored by detecting the concomitantly emitted THz electromagnetic radiation [2,3]. In particular, we study THz emission from bilayers consisting of a magnetic and a nonmagnetic metallic layer. By varying the magnetic layer material from conducting to insulating and from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic, we aim at identifying the different mechanisms that can lead to the ultrafast generation of spin currents across those structures.

The results shown here were obtained in close collaborations with the research groups of J. Barker, C. Ciccarelli, M. Kläui, Y. Mokrousov, M. Münzenberg, P.M. Oppeneer, I. Radu and D. Turchinovich.

References

[1] S.A. Wolf et al., Science 294.5546 (2001)

[2] T. Kampfrath et al., Nature Nanotech. 8, 256 (2013)

[3] T. Seifert et al., Nature Phot. 10, 483 (2016)