113 research outputs found
Laser-induced solid-solid phase transition in As under pressure: A theoretical prediction
In Arsenic a pressure-induced solid-solid phase transition from the A7 into
the simple cubic structure has been experimentally demonstrated [Beister et
al., Phys. Rev. B 41, 5535 (1990)]. In this paper we present calculations,
which predict that this phase transition can also be induced by an ultrashort
laser pulse in As under pressure. In addition, calculations for the
pressure-induced phase transition are presented. Using density functional
theory in the generalized gradient approximation, we found that the
pressure-induced phase transition takes place at 26.3 GPa and is accompanied by
a volume change "Delta V" = 0.5 bohr^3/atom. The laser-induced phase transition
is predicted for an applied pressure of 23.8 GPa and an absorbed laser energy
of 2.8 mRy/atom.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures Changes to content To be published in New Journal
of Physics (accepted for publication
Ultrafast spin dynamics and critical behavior in half-metallic ferromagnet : Sr_2FeMoO_6
Ultrafast spin dynamics in ferromagnetic half-metallic compound Sr_2FeMoO_6
is investigated by pump-probe measurements of magneto-optical Kerr effect.
Half-metallic nature of this material gives rise to anomalous thermal
insulation between spins and electrons, and allows us to pursue the spin
dynamics from a few to several hundred picoseconds after the optical
excitation. The optically detected magnetization dynamics clearly shows the
crossover from microscopic photoinduced demagnetization to macroscopic critical
behavior with universal power law divergence of relaxation time for wide
dynamical critical region.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures. Abstract and Figures 1 & 3 are correcte
Efficient metallic spintronic emitters of ultrabroadband terahertz radiation
Terahertz electromagnetic radiation is extremely useful for numerous
applications such as imaging and spectroscopy. Therefore, it is highly
desirable to have an efficient table-top emitter covering the 1-to-30-THz
window whilst being driven by a low-cost, low-power femtosecond laser
oscillator. So far, all solid-state emitters solely exploit physics related to
the electron charge and deliver emission spectra with substantial gaps. Here,
we take advantage of the electron spin to realize a conceptually new terahertz
source which relies on tailored fundamental spintronic and photonic phenomena
in magnetic metal multilayers: ultrafast photo-induced spin currents, the
inverse spin-Hall effect and a broadband Fabry-P\'erot resonance. Guided by an
analytical model, such spintronic route offers unique possibilities for
systematic optimization. We find that a 5.8-nm-thick W/CoFeB/Pt trilayer
generates ultrashort pulses fully covering the 1-to-30-THz range. Our novel
source outperforms laser-oscillator-driven emitters such as ZnTe(110) crystals
in terms of bandwidth, terahertz-field amplitude, flexibility, scalability and
cost.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figure
Damped precession of the magnetization vector of superparamagnetic nanoparticles excited by femtosecond optical pulses
The ultrafast magnetization and electron dynamics of superparamagnetic cobalt nanoparticles, embedded in a dielectric matrix, have been investigated using femtosecond optical pulses. Our experimental approach allows us to bypass the superparamagnetic thermal fluctuations and to observe the trajectory of the magnetization vector which exhibits a strongly damped precession motion. The magnetization precession is damped faster in the superparamagnetic particles than in cobalt films or when the particle size decreases, suggesting that the damping is enhanced at the metal dielectric interface. Our observations question the gyroscopic nature of the magnetization pathway when superparamagnetic fluctuations take place as we discuss in the context of Brown’s model
Spin Caloritronics
This is a brief overview of the state of the art of spin caloritronics, the
science and technology of controlling heat currents by the electron spin degree
of freedom (and vice versa).Comment: To be published in "Spin Current", edited by S. Maekawa, E. Saitoh,
S. Valenzuela and Y. Kimura, Oxford University Pres
Optical determination of the NĂ©el vector in a CuMnAs thin-film antiferromagnet
Recent breakthroughs in electrical detection and manipulation of antiferromagnets have opened a new avenue in the research of non-volatile spintronic devices.1-10 Antiparallel spin sublattices in antiferromagnets, producing zero dipolar fields, lead to the insensitivity to magnetic field perturbations, multi-level stability, ultrafast spin dynamics and other favorable characteristics which may find utility in fields ranging from magnetic memories to optical signal processing. However, the absence of a net magnetic moment and the ultra-short magnetization dynamics timescales make antiferromagnets notoriously difficult to study by common magnetometers or magnetic resonance techniques. In this paper we demonstrate the experimental determination of the NĂ©el vector in a thin film of antiferromagnetic CuMnAs9,10 which is the prominent material used in the first realization of antiferromagnetic memory chips.10 We employ a femtosecond pump-probe magneto-optical experiment based on magnetic linear dichroism. This table-top optical method is considerably more accessible than the traditionally employed large scale facility techniques like neutron diffraction11 and Xray magnetic dichroism measurements.12-14 This optical technique allows an unambiguous direct determination of the NĂ©el vector orientation in thin antiferromagnetic films utilized in devices directly from measured data without fitting to a theoretical model
Myosin Light Chain Kinase Mediates Intestinal Barrier Disruption following Burn Injury
Background: Severe burn injury results in the loss of intestinal barrier function, however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation mediated by MLC kinase (MLCK) is critical to the pathophysiological regulation of intestinal barrier function. We hypothesized that the MLCK-dependent MLC phosphorylation mediates the regulation of intestinal barrier function following burn injury, and that MLCK inhibition attenuates the burn-induced intestinal barrier disfunction. Methodology/Principal Findings: Male balb/c mice were assigned randomly to either sham burn (control) or 30 % total body surface area (TBSA) full thickness burn without or with intraperitoneal injection of ML-9 (2 mg/kg), an MLCK inhibitor. In vivo intestinal permeability to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran was measured. Intestinal mucosa injury was assessed histologically. Tight junction proteins ZO-1, occludin and claudin-1 was analyzed by immunofluorescent assay. Expression of MLCK and phosphorylated MLC in ileal mucosa was assessed by Western blot. Intestinal permeability was increased significantly after burn injury, which was accompanied by mucosa injury, tight junction protein alterations, and increase of both MLCK and MLC phosphorylation. Treatment with ML-9 attenuated the burn-caused increase of intestinal permeability, mucosa injury, tight junction protein alterations, and decreased MLC phosphorylation, but not MLCK expression
Beyond a phenomenological description of magnetostriction
We use ultrafast x-ray and electron diffraction to disentangle spin-lattice
coupling of granular FePt in the time domain. The reduced dimensionality of
single-crystalline FePt nanoparticles leads to strong coupling of magnetic
order and a highly anisotropic three-dimensional lattice motion characterized
by a- and b-axis expansion and c-axis contraction. The resulting increase of
the FePt lattice tetragonality, the key quantity determining the energy barrier
between opposite FePt magnetization orientations, persists for tens of
picoseconds. These results suggest a novel approach to laser-assisted magnetic
switching in future data storage applications.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure
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