2016/02/29 by P. Bowlan, Pamela Bowlan, S. A. Trugman +12
Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Condensed Matter Physics #Antiferromagnetism #Condensed matter physics #Electron #Ferromagnetism #Magnetic and transport properties of perovskites and related materials #Magnon #Multiferroics and related materials #Phonon #Physics #Quantum mechanics #Spin (aerodynamics) #Spin wave #Spins #cond-mat.str-el
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevb.94.100404
published as Phys. Rev. B 94, 100404 (2016)
openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · arxiv created 2016/08/21 · openalex publication_date 2016/09/26 · arxiv updated 2016/10/05 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We demonstrate an approach for directly tracking antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin dynamics by measuring ultrafast changes in a magnon resonance. We test this idea on the multiferroic HoMnO3 by optically photoexciting electrons, after which changes in the spin order are probed with a THz pulse tuned to a magnon resonance. This reveals a photoinduced change in the magnon line shape that builds up over 5--12 picoseconds, which we show to be the spin-lattice thermalization time, indicating that electrons heat the spins via phonons. We compare our results to previous studies of spin-lattice thermalization in ferromagnetic manganites, giving insight into fundamental differences between the two systems. Our work sheds light on the microscopic mechanism governing spin-phonon interactions in AFMs and demonstrates a powerful approach for directly monitoring ultrafast spin dynamics.