We review the phenomenology of light-induced ultrafast magnetization dynamics, with
emphasis on metallic compounds. The interaction of femtosecond laser pulses with …

The discovery of ultrafast demagnetization by Bigot and Beaurepaire in 1996 launched the
field of ultrafast magnetism–the study of sub-picosecond magnetization dynamics in …

The field of spintronics involves the study of both spin and charge transport in solid-state
devices. Ultrafast magnetism involves the use of femtosecond laser pulses to manipulate …

We present results of detailed experimental and theoretical studies of all-optical
magnetization reversal by single circularly-polarized laser pulses in ferrimagnetic rare earth …

Present mass data storage relies on the ability to switch small magnetic domains. Besides
high storage densities, short switching times [1] are important for efficient devices. After …

We provide a quantum theoretical description of the magnetic polarization induced by
intense circularly polarized light in a material. Such effect—commonly referred to as the …

Ultrafast magnetization switching at picosecond and sub-picosecond time scales has
tremendous technological potential but still poses numerous questions regarding the …

We investigate the dependency of all-optical magnetization switching on the properties of
the exciting laser pulse by specifically tailoring all accessible laser parameters—pulse …

Since the first observation of ultrafast demagnetization in Ni thin films by Beaurepaire et al
20 years ago, understanding the interaction between ultrashort laser pulses and …

Recently it has been shown that not only GdFeCo alloys exhibit single-pulse helicity-
independent all-optical switching, but that this effect is also seen in Co/Gd bilayers …