Current-driven resonances in magnetic multilayers

We describe complex variations in resistance of a Co/Cu multilayer, generated by injection of an adjustable dc current density ( approximately 10(9) A/cm(2)) via a point contact. We attribute these variations to coupling of current-induced spin waves to lattice vibrations, leading especially to current-driven resonant excitations of phonons. We propose a simple model to explain the observed structured behavior of the variations as a function of the applied current and magnetic field.     

Current-driven excitations in symmetric magnetic nanopillars

We study experimentally the current-driven magnetic excitations in symmetric Co/Cu/Co nanopillars. In contrast with all the previous observations where the current of only one polarity is capable of exciting a multilayer system saturated by an externally applied magnetic field, we observe that both polarities of the applied current trigger excitations in a symmetric multilayer. This may indicate that in symmetric structures the current propels high-frequency magnetic oscillations in all magnetic layers. We argue, however, that only one layer is excited in our multilayers but, interestingly, currents of opposite polarities excite different layers. This hypothesis is supported by modeling the spin accumulation in symmetric magnetic multilayers.     

Current-driven magnetic excitations in permalloy-based multilayer nanopillars

We study current-driven magnetization switching in nanofabricated Ni(84)Fe(16)/Cu/Ni(84)Fe16 trilayers at 295 and 4.2 K. The shape of the hysteretic switching diagram at low magnetic field changes with temperature. The reversible behavior at higher fields involves two phenomena, a threshold current for magnetic excitations closely correlated with the switching current, and a peak in differential resistance characterized by telegraph noise, with an average period that decreases exponentially with current and shifts with temperature. We interpret both static and dynamic results at 295 and 4.2 K in terms of thermal activation over a potential barrier, with a current-dependent effective magnetic temperature.     

Light-induced magnetic vortices

I propose to use optical waves exhibiting spatially inhomogeneous polarization or phase singularities to imprint magnetic vortices in a medium exhibiting the inverse Faraday effect. It is suggested that a two-beam configuration would allow one to design tailored magnetization distributions with or without a phase singularity.     

Dynamics of magnetic vortices

The canonical conservation laws of linear and angular momentum in the ferromagnetic continuum have been known to be plagued by certain ambiguities which are resolved in this paper by constructing conservation laws as suitable moments of a topological density. The resulting canonical structure is then shown to be analogous to that encountered in the familiar Hall effect and explains the unusual features of the dynamics of magnetic vortices without resorting to a detailed solution of the underlying nonlinear equations. Thus, in the absence of external magnetic fields, a magnetic vortex is shown to be spontaneously pinned around a fixed guiding center. The guiding center would drift in a direction perpendicular to an applied magnetic field gradient, provided that dissipation can be neglected, with a Hall velocity that is calculated explicitly in terms of the initial configuration of the vortex. In the presence of dissipation, the vortex undergoes skew deflection at an angle δ ≠ 90° with respect to the applied field gradient. The angle δ is related to the winding number of the vortex according to the well-known golden rule of bubble dynamics.     

Parametric excitation of two internally resonant oscillators

The response of two-degree-of-freedom systems with quadratic non-linearities to a principal parametric resonance in the presence of two-to-one internal resonances is investigated. The method of multiple scales is used to construct a first-order uniform expansion yielding four first-order non-linear ordinary differential (averaged) equations governing the modulation of the amplitudes and the phases of the two modes. These equations are used to determine steady state responses and their stability. When the higher mode is excited by a principal parametric resonance, the non-trivial steady state value of its amplitude is a constant that is independent of the excitation amplitude, whereas the amplitude of the lower mode, which is indirectly excited through the internal resonance, increases with the amplitude of the excitation. However, in addition to Poincaré-type bifurcations, this response exhibits a Hopf bifurcation leading to amplitude- and phase-modulated motions. When the lower mode is excited by a principal parametric resonance, the averaged equations exhibit both Poincaré and Hopf bifurcations. In some intervals of the parameters, the periodic solutions of the averaged equations, in the latter case, experience period-doubling bifurcations, leading to chaos.     

Current-driven magnetization dynamics in magnetic trilayers with a tilted spin polarizer

The magnetization dynamics is studied theoretically in the tilted-polarizer magnetic trilayers. Utilizing stability analysis, we obtain the phase diagrams in the plane defined by the current density and the direction of pinned-layer magnetization. With the pinned-layer magnetization oriented in a certain range, one can realize different magnetic states, such as quasi-parallel and quasi-antiparallel stable states, in-plane and out-of-plane precessions, and out-of-plane stable states by varying the current. We find that the free-layer magnetization prefers reversal for small deviation of the fixed-layer magnetization from the film plane, while precession for big deviation.     

Exploration of magnetic field generation of H32+ by direc ionization and coherent resonant excitation

Coherent electronic dynamics are of great significance in photo-induced processes and molecular magnetism. We theoretically investigate electronic dynamics of triatomic molecule H₃²⁺ by circularly polarized pulses, including electron density distributions, induced electronic currents, and ultrafast magnetic field generation. By comparing the results of the coherent resonant excitation and direct ionization, we found that for the coherent resonant excitation, the electron is localized and the coherent electron wave packet moves periodically between three protons, which can be attributed to the coherent superposition of the ground A' state and excited E⁺ state. Whereas, for the direct single-photon ionization, the induced electronic currents mainly come from the free electron in the continuum state. It is found that there are differences in the intensity, phase, and frequency of the induced current and the generated magnetic field. The scheme allows one to control the induced electronic current and the ultrafast magnetic field generation.     

Multiphoton double ionization via field-independent resonant excitation

The double ionization of xenon in the multiphoton regime has been studied at two wavelengths (0.77 and 0.79 microm) using an electron-ion coincidence technique and an intensity binned ion ratio method. Sharp resonant structures in the electron energy distribution correlated with the doubly charged ion, as well as a wavelength dependence of the Xe(2+)/Xe(+) ratio provides new insights. A mechanism involving the shelving of population in Rydberg states followed by excitation of a core electron is proposed.     

Iron-yttrium garnet films with magnetic vortices

Submicron iron-yttrium garnet films have been studied. The effect of the switching of nonreciprocal resonance absorption, which is caused by the switching of the polarization of vortices, has been revealed.     

Soft X-ray resonant magnetic scattering of magnetic nanostructures

Soft X-ray resonant magnetic scattering offers a unique element-, site- and valence-specific probe to study magnetic structures on the nanoscopic length scale. This new technique, which combines X-ray scattering with X-ray magnetic circular and linear dichroism, is ideally suited to investigate magnetic superlattices and magnetic domain structures. The theoretical analysis of the polarization dependence to determine the vector magnetization profile is presented. This is illustrated with examples studying the closure domains in self-organising magnetic domain structures, the magnetic order in patterned samples, and the local configuration of magnetic nano-objects using coherent X-rays. To cite this article: G. van der Laan, C. R. Physique 9 (2008).     

Wave front transformation of optical vortices with multiwave interactions in resonant media

The transformation of singular light beams is analyzed theoretically for multiwave interactions on amplitude and phase dynamic holograms in media with a resonant nonlinearity. The possibility of multiplying topological charge using different diffraction orders is demonstrated and optimal conditions for parametric energy exchange are determined which ensure retention of the structure of the wave front of optical vortices. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 76, No. 3, pp. 395–402, May–June, 2009.     

Optical and thermal orientation of localized excitons in solid solutions under resonant excitation in a longitudinal magnetic field

A theoretical and experimental study of the effect of a longitudinal magnetic field on optical orientation and magneto-circular polarization of the luminescence of localized excitons in semiconducting solid solutions is reported. It is shown that recombination takes place through two types of emitting states differing substantially in the degree of anisotropy, g factor, and spin relaxation time. Estimates are made of the g factors, anisotropic and exchange splittings, lifetime, and spin relaxation time of localized states in a CdS_0.96Se_0.04/GaAs solidsolution epitaxial layer. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 900–902 (May 1998)     

Soft X-ray resonant magnetic diffraction

We have conducted the first soft x-ray diffraction experiments from a bulk single crystal, studying the bilayer manganite La2-2xSr1+2xMn2O7 with x=0.475 in which we were able to access the (002) Bragg reflection using soft x rays. The Bragg reflection displays a strong resonant enhancement at the L(III) and L(II) manganese absorption edges. We demonstrate that the resonant enhancement of the magnetic diffraction of the (001) is extremely large, indeed so large that it exceeds that of the nonresonant Bragg diffraction. Resonant soft x-ray scattering of 3d transition metal oxides is the only technique for the atomic selective measurement of spin, charge, and orbital correlations in materials, such as high temperature superconductors, colossal magnetoresistance manganites, and charge stripe nickelates.     

Auger spectra from resonant transfer excitation of O VI

Auger spectra observed in the resonant transfer excitation of O VI by He targets are analyzed in terms of the e+O⁵⁺ resonant excitation cross section. Peak ratio for the ³D and ¹D states of the intermediate state configuration (1s2s2p²) is found to be 3 : 1, in rough agreement with the experimental data. In addition, Auger decay of resonance states generated by collisional excitation of O VI (1s2s², 1s2s2p, 1s2p²) is examined.     

Theory of transient two-photon resonant up-conversion with non-synchronized excitation

The theory of the two-photon resonant up-conversion process (ω_a + ω_a) + ω_c ? ω_d is developed for short pulse excitation. Prominence is given to the case where the pulse at frequency ω_c is not time-synchronized with the pulse ω_a but travels immediately behind it. Not only is the conversion efficiency thereby maximized, but the associated theoretical simplification enables several analytical formulae to be derived which provide new insight into the mechanism of resonant non- linear interactions. In particular, an expression is derived for the maximum useful energy per unit area of the pulse at ω_c. Exceeding this value is of little or no advantage in the non-synchronized case and is positively detrimental when the a- and c-pulses are coincident. The results are supported by computer solutions.