Science Daily September 6, 2019
Recent studies have shown that the antiferromagnetic AFM order parameter can be ‘switched’ (that is, change it from one known value to another, fast) using light or electric currents. However, the dynamics of the order-switching process are not understood. Current approaches rely on measuring only certain phenomena during AFM order switching and they are not reliable. An international team of researchers (Switzerland, Japan) used second-harmonic generation whose output value is directly related to the AFM order parameter and combined it with measurements of the Faraday effect. Combining these two different measurement methods, the researchers managed to fully characterize the changes in the AFM order parameter in real time with ultrafast resolution separating the origin and nature of multiple simultaneous quantum phenomena that affected the measurements of both methods differently. The approach presented is crucial for better understanding the inner workings of antiferromagnetic materials that could enable electronic devices with speeds orders of magnitude higher…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Experimental observation of coherent spin dynamics by Faraday rotation and SHG. Credit: Nature Communications volume 10, Article number: 3995 (2019)Â