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Original Paper
Femtosecond opto-magnetism: ultrafast laser manipulation of magnetic materials
Article first published online: 9 NOV 2007
DOI: 10.1002/lpor.200710022
Copyright © 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
1863-8899/asset/cover.gif?v=1&s=f320349b54e8db2f3ad8cb7c88a2b7a7791ca81f "Laser & Photonics Reviews")
Additional Information
How to Cite
Kimel, A.V., Kirilyuk, A. and Rasing, T. (2007), Femtosecond opto-magnetism: ultrafast laser manipulation of magnetic materials. Laser & Photon. Rev., 1: 275–287. doi: 10.1002/lpor.200710022
Publication History
- Issue published online: 10 DEC 2007
- Article first published online: 9 NOV 2007
- Manuscript Accepted: 9 OCT 2007
- Manuscript Revised: 8 OCT 2007
- Manuscript Received: 21 SEP 2007
Funded by
- European RTN network DYNAMICS, INTAS. Grant Number: 1000008-8112
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)
- Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie (FOM)
- Dutch NanoNed programme
- Abstract
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- time-resolved optical spectroscopy;
- magneto-optics;
- ultrafast magnetization dynamics;
- coherent optical control
Abstract
This review summarizes the recent progress in the study of ultrafast nonthermal effects of light on magnetic materials. It is demonstrated that due to opto-magnetic phenomena an intense 100 fs circularly polarized laser pulse acts on the spins similar to an equivalently short effective magnetic field pulse up to 1 T. The review shows that using such opto-magnetic phenomena one may selectively excite different modes of magnetic resonance, realize quantum control of magnons, trigger magnetic phase transitions and switch spins on a subpicosecond time-scale. All these findings open new insights into the understanding of ultrafast magnetic excitation and, considering recent progress in the development of compact ultrafast lasers, may provide new prospects for applications of ultrafast opto-magnetic phenomena in magnetic storage and information processing technology.