Using femtosecond time-resolved resonant magnetic x-ray diffraction at the Ho L3 absorption edge, we investigate the demagnetization dynamics in antiferromagnetically ordered metallic Ho after femtosecond optical excitation. Tuning the x-ray energy to the electric dipole (E1, 2p -> 5d) or quadrupole (E2, 2p -> 4f) transition allows us to selectively and independently study the spin dynamics of the itinerant 5d and localized 4f electronic subsystems via the suppression of the magnetic (2 1 3-tau ) satellite peak. We find demagnetization timescales very similar to ferromagnetic 4f systems, suggesting that the loss of magnetic order occurs via a similar spin-flip process in both cases. The simultaneous demagnetization of both subsystems demonstrates strong intra-atomic 4f-5d exchange coupling. In addition, an ultrafast lattice contraction due to the release of magnetostriction leads to a transient shift of the magnetic satellite peak.
@article{arxiv.1511.05315,
title = {Itinerant and localized magnetization dynamics in antiferromagnetic Ho},
author = {L. Rettig and C. Dornes and N. Thielemann-Kuehn and N. Pontius and H. Zabel and D. L. Schlagel and T. A. Lograsso and M. Chollet and A. Robert and M. Sikorski and S. Song and J. M. Glownia and C. Schuessler-Langeheine and S. L. Johnson and U. Staub},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1511.05315},
year = {2016}
}