English

Sub-picosecond exchange-relaxation in the compensated ferrimagnet Mn$_2$Ru$_x$Ga

Materials Science 2021-01-18 v1

Abstract

We study the demagnetization dynamics of the fully compensated half-metallic ferrimagnet Mn2_2Rux_xGa. While the two antiferromagnetically coupled sublattices are both composed of manganese, they exhibit different temperature dependencies due to their differing local environments. The sublattice magnetization dynamics triggered by femtosecond laser pulses are studied to reveal the roles played by the spin and intersublattice exchange. We find a two-step demagnetization process, similar to the well-established case of Gd(FeCo)3_3, where the two Mn-sublattices have different demagnetization rates. The behaviour is analysed using a four-temperature model, assigning different temperatures to the two manganese spin baths. Even in this strongly exchange-coupled system, the two spin reservoirs have considerably different behaviour. The half-metallic nature and strong exchange coupling of Mn2_2Rux_xGa lead to spin angular momentum conservation at much shorter time scales than found for Gd(FeCo)3_3 which suggests that low-power, sub-picosecond switching of the net moment of Mn2_2Rux_xGa is possible.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2003.01420,
  title  = {Sub-picosecond exchange-relaxation in the compensated ferrimagnet Mn$_2$Ru$_x$Ga},
  author = {G. Bonfiglio and K. Rode and G. Y. P. Atcheson and P. Stamenov and J. M. D. Coey and A. V. Kimel and Th. Rasing and A. Kirilyuk},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2003.01420},
  year   = {2021}
}

Comments

5 pages, 3 figures, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter (2021)