We present a study of photo-excited magnetization dynamics in ferromagnetic (Ga,Mn)As films observed by time-resolved magneto-optical measurements. The magnetization precession triggered by linearly polarized optical pulses in the absence of an external field shows a strong dependence on photon frequency when the photo-excitation energy approaches the band-edge of (Ga,Mn)As. This can be understood in terms of magnetic anisotropy modulation by both laser heating of the sample and by hole-induced non-thermal paths. Our findings provide a means for identifying the transition of laser-triggered magnetization dynamics from thermal to non-thermal mechanisms, a result that is of importance for ultrafast optical spin manipulation in ferromagnetic materials via non-thermal paths.
@article{arxiv.1501.02083,
title = {Collective magnetization dynamics in ferromagnetic (Ga,Mn)As mediated by photo-excited carriers},
author = {Hang Li and Xinyu Liu and Ying-Yuan Zhou and Jacek K. Furdyna and Xinhui Zhang},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1501.02083},
year = {2015}
}