Sub-picosecond magnetization reversal in rare-earth-free spin valves

Researchers on the Université de Lorraine in France and Tohoku University in Japan have demonstrated a sub-picosecond magnetization reversal in rare-earth-free archetypical spin valves. Their discovery was printed within the journal Nature Materials on March 9, 2023.

Manipulating magnetic materials with out utilizing magnetic fields is of paramount significance for a lot of functions, reminiscent of non-volatile reminiscence. Two many years in the past, it was found {that a} magnetization reversal might be induced by a cost present. A decade later, a a lot sooner, sub-picosecond management of the magnetization was achieved by shining femtosecond gentle pulses. This course of turned often called all-optical magnetization switching. However, only some particular rare-earth-based materials techniques containing antiparallel alignment in magnetic sub-lattices expertise such ultrafast phenomena.

In their work, the analysis group demonstrated sub-picosecond optical management of magnetization in rare-earth-free archetypical spintronic buildings, consisting of [Pt/Co]/Cu/[Co/Pt], at ultrafast timescales.

Furthermore, they noticed magnetization reversal from parallel alignment, which was beforehand unseen and surprising in ultrafast magnetism. Like the invention of magnetization reversal by a cost present twenty years in the past, this breakthrough has the potential to drastically prolong the bandwidth of widespread spintronic units. This might be completed by exploiting widespread spintronics phenomena in a strongly out-of-equilibrium context.

“Our findings provide a route for ultrafast magnetization control by bridging concepts from spintronics and ultrafast magnetism,” says Dr. Junta Igarashi of the Université de Lorraine (JSPS Overseas Research Fellowships, an alumnus of Tohoku University) and first creator of the paper.

Professor Stéphane Mangin of the Université de Lorraine, additionally serving as a visiting professor on the Center for Science and Innovation in Spintronics (CSIS), Tohoku University, added, “Our findings are a milestone in the development of ultra-fast spintronics and could open the way to new applications for ultra-fast and energy efficient memories.”