Magnetization dynamics of antiferromagnetic compounds by nonlinear optical spectroscopy

• Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Manfred Fiebig
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Experimentelle Physik der kondensierten Materie
• Förderung: Förderung von 2002 bis 2011
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 5373106

The ferromagnetic properties of matter are of unparalleled importance for the construction of nonvolatile memory devices. Recently, more and more interest is also devoted to the antiferromagnetic properties of matter due to their close relationship to high-temperature super-conductivity and their applicability as exchange-bias compound in magnetic heterostructures. Since 1994 nonlinear optical methods for the study of antiferromagnetic structures have been developed in our group. After nonlinear magneto-optical spectroscopy and topography have reached a level of maturity, the wide range of developed techniques will now be used to study the dynamical properties of the antiferromagnetic state. The demagnetization and remagnetization dynamics of antiferromagnetic bulk crystals and thin films after the excitation with an intense ultrashort laser pulse will be investigated. Further, the temporal evalution of antiferromagnetic switching processes will be studied. The switching can be triggered either by the electromagnetic field of the incident light wave as a new type of photomagnetism, or it can occur as temperature induced magnetic phase transition after the excitation. A broad range of compounds - from classical weakly correlated antiferromagnets like Cr2O3 to complex highly correlated compounds like the magneto-resistive mixed-valence manganites - will be studied within the scope of this project.

• DFG-Verfahren: Schwerpunktprogramme
• Teilprojekt zu: SPP 1133: Ultrafast magnetization processes