The manipulation of magnetization solely by the ultrashort laser pulse has attracted attention for future ultrafast and low-energy spintronics device [1-4]. GdFeCo has been predominant materials system showing all-optical single-shot magnetization switching. The magnetization switching of GdFeCo is driven by a transient ferromagnetic-like states and transfer of angular momentum between Gd and FeCo sublattices [1,2]. However, restriction to Gd-based ferrimagnetic material limits potential spintronics device applications. Moreover, all-optical magnetization switching in magnetic multilayer, in which magnetic layers are decoupled, is unexplored yet. Here, we demonstrated that all-optical single shot magnetization switching can be realized even in ferromagnetic film, which is mediated by laser-induced spin-current in the magnetic multilayer [5]. This demonstration provides new way to deterministically switch ferromagnetic films with a single optical pulse. In the presentation, the experimental details as well as the physics behind experimental results will be presented.

Professor Satoshi Iihama received his Ph.D. from Tohoku University, Japan, in March 2016. After Ph.D., he joined Spintronics Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan. At the same time, he became a visiting researcher in Stephane Mangin’s group, Institut Jean Lamour, Universite de Lorraine, France. After the Postdoctoral fellow, Satoshi became an Assistant Professor in Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University.

Purdue Quantum and Science Engineering Institute, Tohoku University, Discovery Park

1. I. Radu et al. Nature 472, 207 (2011)
2. T. A. Ostler et al. Nat. Commun. 3, 666 (2012)
3. S. Mangin et al. Nat. Mater. 13, 286 (2014)
4. C. -H. Lambert et al. Science 345, 1337 (2014)
5. S. Iihama et al. Adv. Mater. 30, 1804004 (2018)

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

• Satoshi Iihama (2020), "All-optical Magnetization Switching Mediated by Laser-induced Spin Current," https://nanohub.org/resources/33544.

  BibTex | EndNote

1. ferrimagnetic materials
2. magnetic multilayers
3. nanoelectronics
4. spintronic devicces
5. spintronics
6. ultrafast optics