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H2020Individual fellowship2018–2020

FASTMAGNETS · Ultrafast Demagnetization Dynamics Using Novel Table-top X-ray Source

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2018-09-01 → 2020-08-31
EU contribution
€175,420
Participants
1
Scheme
MSCA-IF-EF-ST

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Ultrafast Demagnetization Dynamics Using Novel Table-top X-ray Source

The two-year MSCA project consists mainly of an experimental work on implementing novel soft X-ray beamline for magnetization dynamics studies. The experimental work has been performed in tight collaboration with three partner institutions. One of the most intriguing questions in the field of ultrafast magnetism is what is the fundamental speed limit for demagnetization (“erasing”) or magnetization switching (“writing”). The objective of this project is to address three fundamental questions in the field of ultrafast magnetization dynamics: 1) how fast can a magnetic sample be demagnetized when heated by an ultrashort laser pulse? 2) how fast can the magnetization component of a device be switched by an oscillating electromagnetic field? 3) what is the mechanism behind the ultrafast laser-induced demagnetization? We are tackling these three questions using using an optical pump – X-ray probe techniques. The short pulse duration of the femtosecond table-top source provides us with temporal resolution down to 5 femtoseconds (fs) that can potentially be extended to attosecond range. Moreover, the next step is to simultaneously probe demagnetization dynamics of multi-element samples in the form of alloys and multi-layer samples. The proposed experiments were performed at University of Geneva (UniGe), Applied Physics Group (GAP) as well as in collaboration with two partner institutions: ETH Zürich, department of physical chemistry and photonics institute of Vienna University of Technology.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Magnetic data storage enabled the tremendous progress in the modern computing and the amount of data world-wide is progressively growing. The continuing growth relies on the technological innovations as well as research in the fundamental magnetic interactions. With the growing amount of data being recorded/erased on the magnetic memory devices, it poses a question of what are the fundamental speed limits for altering the magnetization state and what are the underlying mechanisms of the interaction. One of the most intriguing questions in the field of ultrafast magnetism is what is the fundamental speed limit for demagnetization (“erasing”) or magnetization switching (“writing”). In this proposal the applicant proposes the use of novel state-of-the soft X-Ray sources based on high order harmonic generation (HHG) to study magnetization dynamics in ferromagnetic materials on the unprecedented temporal resolution. The aim of this project is to address three fundamental questions in the field of ultrafast magnetization dynamics: (1) how fast can a magnetic sample be demagnetized when heated by an ultrashort laser pulse? (2) how fast can the magnetization component of a device be switched by an oscillating electromagnetic field? (3) what is the mechanism behind the ultrafast laser-induced demagnetization? These three work packages will be performed at University of Geneva together the support from thee partner institutions: INRS-EMT in Canada, and two groups in ETH Zurich. These results will lead to a major breakthrough in ultrafast magnetism research field and represent the long-standing goals actively pursued by many laboratories around the world. These experiments will provide an insight into the physics, the ultimate speed limits of such ultrafast magnetization switching, and will contribute to the development of fast memory storage devices in the future.

Original text from CORDIS.

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Data: CORDIS, © European Union