IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-58411-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Tuning ultrafast demagnetization with ultrashort spin polarized currents in multi-sublattice ferrimagnets

Author

Listed:
  • Deeksha Gupta

    (CNRS et Université de Strasbourg
    Albert-Einstein Str. 15)

  • Maryna Pankratova

    (Uppsala University
    University of Skövde)

  • Matthias Riepp

    (CNRS et Université de Strasbourg)

  • Manuel Pereiro

    (Uppsala University)

  • Biplab Sanyal

    (Uppsala University)

  • Soheil Ershadrad

    (Uppsala University)

  • Michel Hehn

    (Institut Jean Lamour, UMR 7198 CNRS)

  • Niko Pontius

    (Albert-Einstein Str. 15)

  • Christian Schüßler-Langeheine

    (Albert-Einstein Str. 15)

  • Radu Abrudan

    (Albert-Einstein Str. 15)

  • Nicolas Bergeard

    (CNRS et Université de Strasbourg)

  • Anders Bergman

    (Uppsala University)

  • Olle Eriksson

    (Uppsala University
    Uppsala University)

  • Christine Boeglin

    (CNRS et Université de Strasbourg)

Abstract

Femtosecond laser pulses can be used to induce ultrafast changes of the magnetization in magnetic materials. Several microscopic mechanisms have been proposed to explain these observations, including the transport of ultrashort spin-polarized hot-electrons (SPHE). However, currently such ultrafast spin currents are only poorly characterized due to the measurement requirements for element and time resolution. Here, using time- and element-resolved X-ray magnetic circular dichroism alongside atomistic spin-dynamics simulations, we study the ultrafast transfer of the angular momentum from spin-polarized currents. We show that using a Co/Pt multilayer as a polarizer in a spin-valve structure, the SPHE drives the demagnetization of the two sub-lattices of the Fe74Gd26 film. This behaviour can be explained with two physical mechanisms; spin transfer torque and thermal fluctuations induced by the SPHE. We provide a quantitative description of the heat transfer of the ultrashort SPHE pulse to the Fe74Gd26 films, as well as the effect of spin-polarization of the SPHE current density responsible for the observed magnetization dynamics. Our work finally characterizes the spin-polarization of the SPHEs revealing unexpected opposite spin polarization to the Co magnetization.

Suggested Citation

  • Deeksha Gupta & Maryna Pankratova & Matthias Riepp & Manuel Pereiro & Biplab Sanyal & Soheil Ershadrad & Michel Hehn & Niko Pontius & Christian Schüßler-Langeheine & Radu Abrudan & Nicolas Bergeard & , 2025. "Tuning ultrafast demagnetization with ultrashort spin polarized currents in multi-sublattice ferrimagnets," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-58411-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58411-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58411-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-58411-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gyung-Min Choi & Byoung-Chul Min & Kyung-Jin Lee & David G. Cahill, 2014. "Spin current generated by thermally driven ultrafast demagnetization," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-8, September.
    2. A. J. Schellekens & K. C. Kuiper & R.R.J.C. de Wit & B Koopmans, 2014. "Ultrafast spin-transfer torque driven by femtosecond pulsed-laser excitation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7, September.
    3. Quentin Remy & Julius Hohlfeld & Maxime Vergès & Yann Le Guen & Jon Gorchon & Grégory Malinowski & Stéphane Mangin & Michel Hehn, 2023. "Accelerating ultrafast magnetization reversal by non-local spin transfer," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. N. Bergeard & V. López-Flores & V. Halté & M. Hehn & C. Stamm & N. Pontius & E. Beaurepaire & C. Boeglin, 2014. "Ultrafast angular momentum transfer in multisublattice ferrimagnets," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7, May.
    5. C. Boeglin & E. Beaurepaire & V. Halté & V. López-Flores & C. Stamm & N. Pontius & H. A. Dürr & J.-Y. Bigot, 2010. "Distinguishing the ultrafast dynamics of spin and orbital moments in solids," Nature, Nature, vol. 465(7297), pages 458-461, May.
    6. I. Radu & K. Vahaplar & C. Stamm & T. Kachel & N. Pontius & H. A. Dürr & T. A. Ostler & J. Barker & R. F. L. Evans & R. W. Chantrell & A. Tsukamoto & A. Itoh & A. Kirilyuk & Th. Rasing & A. V. Kimel, 2011. "Transient ferromagnetic-like state mediating ultrafast reversal of antiferromagnetically coupled spins," Nature, Nature, vol. 472(7342), pages 205-208, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kyuhwe Kang & Hiroki Omura & Daniel Yesudas & OukJae Lee & Kyung-Jin Lee & Hyun-Woo Lee & Tomoyasu Taniyama & Gyung-Min Choi, 2023. "Spin current driven by ultrafast magnetization of FeRh," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Quentin Remy & Julius Hohlfeld & Maxime Vergès & Yann Le Guen & Jon Gorchon & Grégory Malinowski & Stéphane Mangin & Michel Hehn, 2023. "Accelerating ultrafast magnetization reversal by non-local spin transfer," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Ruslan Salikhov & Igor Ilyakov & Anneke Reinold & Jan-Christoph Deinert & Thales V. A. G. de Oliveira & Alexey Ponomaryov & Gulloo Lal Prajapati & Patrick Pilch & Ahmed Ghalgaoui & Max Koch & Jürgen F, 2025. "Ultrafast unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance driven by terahertz light field," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Sahdane, T. & Masrour, R. & Jabar, A., 2021. "Ferrielectric properties of a bilayer structure with RKKY-like interaction: A Monte Carlo study," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 572(C).
    5. Y. Peng & D. Salomoni & G. Malinowski & W. Zhang & J. Hohlfeld & L. D. Buda-Prejbeanu & J. Gorchon & M. Vergès & J. X. Lin & D. Lacour & R. C. Sousa & I. L. Prejbeanu & S. Mangin & M. Hehn, 2023. "In-plane reorientation induced single laser pulse magnetization reversal," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    6. Masakazu Matsubara & Takatsugu Kobayashi & Hikaru Watanabe & Youichi Yanase & Satoshi Iwata & Takeshi Kato, 2022. "Polarization-controlled tunable directional spin-driven photocurrents in a magnetic metamaterial with threefold rotational symmetry," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    7. Fumiya Sekiguchi & Kestutis Budzinauskas & Prashant Padmanabhan & Rolf B. Versteeg & Vladimir Tsurkan & István Kézsmárki & Francesco Foggetti & Sergey Artyukhin & Paul H. M. Loosdrecht, 2022. "Slowdown of photoexcited spin dynamics in the non-collinear spin-ordered phases in skyrmion host GaV4S8," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    8. Maciej Da̧browski & Shi Guo & Mara Strungaru & Paul S. Keatley & Freddie Withers & Elton J. G. Santos & Robert J. Hicken, 2022. "All-optical control of spin in a 2D van der Waals magnet," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    9. Laura Foglia & Björn Wehinger & Giovanni Perosa & Riccardo Mincigrucci & Enrico Allaria & Francesco Armillotta & Alexander Brynes & Matthew Copus & Riccardo Cucini & Dario Angelis & Giovanni Ninno & W, 2024. "Nanoscale polarization transient gratings," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    10. Sobhan Subhra Mishra & James Lourembam & Dennis Jing Xiong Lin & Ranjan Singh, 2024. "Active ballistic orbital transport in Ni/Pt heterostructure," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-7, December.
    11. Sandeep Kumar & Sunil Kumar, 2023. "Ultrafast THz probing of nonlocal orbital current in transverse multilayer metallic heterostructures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-58411-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.