Ultrafast All Optical Magnetization Control for Broadband Terahertz Spin Wave Generation

Abstract: Terahertz spin waves could be generated on-demand via all-optical manipulation of magnetization by femtosecond laser pulse. Here, we present an energy balance model, which explains the energy transfer rates from laser pulse to electron bath coupled with phonon, spin, and magnetization of five different magnetic metallic thin films: Iron, Cobalt, Nickel, Gadolinium and Ni${2}$MnSn Heusler alloy. Two types of transient magnetization dynamics emerge in metallic magnetic thin films based on their Curie temperatures (T${C}$): type I (Fe, Co, and Ni with T${C}$ > room temperature, RT) and type II films (Gd and Ni${2}$MnSn with T$_{C}$ $\approx$ RT). We study the effect of laser fluence and pulse width for single Gaussian laser pulses and the effect of metal film thickness on magnetization dynamics. Spectral dynamics show that broadband spin waves up to 24 THz could be generated by all-optical manipulation of magnetization in these nanofilms.