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Transient electronic and magnetic structures of nickel heated by ultrafast laser pulses

  • T. Kachel*
  • , N. Pontius
  • , C. Stamm
  • , M. Wietstruk
  • , E. F. Aziz
  • , H. A. Duerr
  • , W. Eberhardt
  • , F. M. F. de Groot
  • *Corresponding author for this work
    • German Cancer Research Center

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    We investigate the evolution of the Ni electronic and magnetic structure on fs to ps time scales following fs-laser excitation. Within 200 fs after excitation the Ni 3d ferromagnetic moment is reduced as probed by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. At the same time the Ni 3d electronic structure undergoes pronounced changes as demonstrated by x-ray absorption spectroscopy. We show that the latter persists also into thermal equilibrium which is reached on the ps time scale. Cluster calculations identify a reduction in 3d-4sp hybridization possibly associated with phonon-driven spin-flip excitations.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number092404
    Number of pages4
    JournalPhysical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
    Volume80
    Issue number9
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Sept 2009

    Funding

    We thank T. Quast, R. Mitzner, K. Holldack, D. Ponwitz, and S. Khan for their help during the measurements, and P. Oppeneer for stimulating discussions. This work was supported by the European Union.

    Keywords

    • band structure
    • magnetic circular dichroism
    • magnetic moments
    • magnetic structure
    • nickel
    • X-ray absorption spectra
    • X-RAY-ABSORPTION
    • CIRCULAR-DICHROISM
    • TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE
    • FERROMAGNETIC NICKEL
    • NI 2P
    • EXCHANGE
    • PHOTOEMISSION
    • EXCITATIONS
    • SPECTRUM
    • IRON

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