2011/11/30 by S. O. Mariager, F. Pressacco, Federico Pressacco +17 · 122 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Physics and Astronomy · #Antiferromagnetism #Condensed matter physics #Diffraction #Ferromagnetism #Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies #Kerr effect #Laser #Magnetic domain #Magnetic field #Magnetic properties of thin films #Magnetization #Materials science #Nonlinear system #Nucleation #Optics #Phase (matter) #Phase transition #Physics #Quantum mechanics #Theoretical and Computational Physics #Thermodynamics #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.108.087201
published in Physical Review Letters 108(8), 087201 (American Physical Society) · 5 pages, 3 figures - changed to reflect version accepted for PRL
arxiv created 2012/01/11 · openalex publication_date 2012/02/21 · arxiv updated 2012/05/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We use time-resolved x-ray diffraction and magneto-optical Kerr effect to study the laser-induced antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transition in FeRh. The structural response is given by the nucleation of independent ferromagnetic domains (\ensuremathτ1\ensuremath∼30 ps). This is significantly faster than the magnetic response (\ensuremathτ2\ensuremath∼60 ps) given by the subsequent domain realignment. X-ray diffraction shows that the two phases coexist on short time scales and that the phase transition is limited by the speed of sound. A nucleation model describing both the structural and magnetic dynamics is presented.