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Laser induced ultrafast Gd 4f spin dynamics in Co100-xGdx alloys by means of time-resolved XMCD

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Abstract

We have studied the laser induced ultrafast quenching of Gd 4f magnetic order in ferrimagnetic Co100-xGdx alloys to highlight the role of the Co 3d–Gd 5d inter-atomic exchange coupling. We have taken advantage of the ultrashort soft X-ray pulses deliver by the femtoslicing beamline at the BESSY II synchrotron radiation source at the Helmholtz–Zentrum Berlin to perform element- and time-resolved X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism spectroscopy. Our results show that the laser induced quenching of Gd 4f magnetic order occurs on very different time-scales for the Co72Gd28, the Co77Gd23 and the Co79Gd21 alloys. Most of the magnetic moment losses occur within the first picosecond (ps) while the electron distribution is strongly out of equilibrium. After the equilibration of the electrons and lattice temperatures (t > 1 ps), the magnetic losses occur on slower rates that depend on the alloy composition: increasing the Co composition speeds up the demagnetization of Gd 4f sublattice. The strength of the Co 3d–Gd 5d inter-atomic exchange coupling which depends on composition, determines the efficiency of the angular momentum flow from the Gd 4f spin towards the lattice. Our results are in qualitative agreements with the predictions of the microscopic three temperatures model for ferrimagnetic alloys.

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The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted for the scientific and technical support given by N. Pontius, Ch. Schüßler-Langeheine and R. Mitzner at the slicing facility at the BESSY II storage ring. The authors are grateful for financial support received from the following agencies: the French “Agence National de la Recherche” via Project No. ANR-11-LABX-0058_NIE and Project EQUIPEX UNION No. ANR-10-EQPX-52 and the EU Contract Integrated Infrastructure Initiative I3 in FP6 Project No. R II 3CT-2004-506008. This work was supported partly by the French PIA project “Lorraine Université d’Excellence”, reference ANR-15-IDEX-04-LUE, by the Project Plus cofounder by the “FEDER-FSE Lorraine et Massif Vosges 2014-2020”, a European Union Program and by the OVNI project from Region Grand-Est and by the MATELAS project institut Carnot ICEEL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut de Physique Et Chimie Des Matériaux de Strasbourg, UMR 7504, 67000, Strasbourg, France

    T. Ferté, C. Boeglin & N. Bergeard

  2. Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    M. Beens & B. Koopmans

  3. Institut Jean Lamour, Université Henri Poincaré, Nancy, France

    G. Malinowski & M. Hehn

  4. Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin Für Materialien Und Energy GmbH, Albert-Einstein-Str. 15, Berlin, Germany

    K. Holldack, R. Abrudan, F. Radu & T. Kachel

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  1. T. Ferté
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  2. M. Beens
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  3. G. Malinowski
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  4. K. Holldack
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  5. R. Abrudan
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  6. F. Radu
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  7. T. Kachel
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  8. M. Hehn
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  9. C. Boeglin
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  10. B. Koopmans
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  11. N. Bergeard
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Correspondence to N. Bergeard.

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Ferté, T., Beens, M., Malinowski, G. et al. Laser induced ultrafast Gd 4f spin dynamics in Co100-xGdx alloys by means of time-resolved XMCD. Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. 232, 2213–2219 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-023-00812-w

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