Ultrafast high-harmonic nanoscopy of magnetization dynamics.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34732725.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-26594-0 and PMC identifier 8566501.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Light-induced magnetization changes, such as all-optical switching, skyrmion nucleation, and intersite spin transfer, unfold on temporal and spatial scales down to femtoseconds and nanometers, respectively. Pump-probe spectroscopy and diffraction studies indicate that spatio-temporal dynamics may drastically affect the non-equilibrium magnetic evolution. Yet, direct real-space magnetic imaging on the relevant timescales has remained challenging. Here, we demonstrate ultrafast high-harmonic nanoscopy employing circularly polarized high-harmonic radiation for real-space imaging of femtosecond magnetization dynamics. We map quenched magnetic domains and localized spin structures in Co/Pd multilayers with a sub-wavelength spatial resolution down to 16 nm, and strobosocopically trace the local magnetization dynamics with 40 fs temporal resolution. Our compact experimental setup demonstrates the highest spatio-temporal resolution of magneto-optical imaging to date. Facilitating ultrafast imaging with high sensitivity to chiral and linear dichroism, we envisage a wide range of applications spanning magnetism, phase transitions, and carrier dynamics.