Single pulse all-optical toggle switching of magnetization without gadolinium in the ferrimagnet Mn2RuxGa
Autor: | J. M. D. Coey, Chandrima Banerjee, K. E. Siewierska, Z. Gercsi, Gwenael Atcheson, Niclas Teichert, Jean Besbas, Plamen Stamenov, Karsten Rode |
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Rok vydání: | 2020 |
Předmět: |
Information storage
Materials science genetic structures Science Physics::Optics General Physics and Astronomy 02 engineering and technology 01 natural sciences Optical switch Article General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology Condensed Matter::Materials Science Magnetization Ultrafast photonics Ferrimagnetism 0103 physical sciences Physics::Atomic and Molecular Clusters lcsh:Science 010306 general physics Multidisciplinary Spintronics business.industry General Chemistry equipment and supplies 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology eye diseases Amorphous solid Ferromagnetism Femtosecond Optoelectronics Condensed Matter::Strongly Correlated Electrons lcsh:Q sense organs Magneto-optics 0210 nano-technology business Ultrashort pulse |
Zdroj: | Nature Communications Nature Communications, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-6 (2020) |
ISSN: | 2041-1723 |
Popis: | Energy-efficient control of magnetization without the help of a magnetic field is a key goal of spintronics. Purely heat-induced single-pulse all-optical toggle switching has been demonstrated, but so far only in Gd-based amorphous ferrimagnet films. In this work, we demonstrate toggle switching in films of the half-metallic ferrimagnetic Heusler alloys Mn2RuxGa, which have two crystallographically-inequivalent Mn sublattices. Moreover, we observe the switching at room temperature in samples that are immune to external magnetic fields in excess of 1 T, provided they exhibit a compensation point above room temperature. Observation of the effect in compensated ferrimagnets without Gd challenges our understanding of all-optical switching. The dynamic behavior indicates that Mn2RuxGa switches in 2 ps or less. Our findings widen the basis for fast optical switching of magnetization and break new ground for engineered materials that can be used for nonvolatile ultrafast switches using ultrashort pulses of light. Femtosecond laser pulses allow for extremely fast switching of magnetization in ferromagnetic films, but all examples so far contained gadolinium. Here the authors demonstrate room temperature all-optical toggle switching in a ferrimagnetic manganese-based half-metal without gadolinium. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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