Real-time observation of non-equilibrium phonon-electron energy and angular momentum flow in laser-heated nickel.

Identifying the microscopic nature of non-equilibrium energy transfer mechanisms among electronic, spin, and lattice degrees of freedom is central to understanding ultrafast phenomena such as manipulating magnetism on the femtosecond timescale. Here, we use time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to go beyond the often-used ensemble-averaged view of non-equilibrium dynamics in terms of quasiparticle temperature evolutions. We show for ferromagnetic Ni that the non-equilibrium electron and spin dynamics display pronounced variations with electron momentum, whereas the magnetic exchange interaction remains isotropic.

Optimal covariance cleaning for heavy-tailed distributions: Insights from information theory.

In optimal covariance cleaning theory, minimizing the Frobenius norm between the true population covariance matrix and a rotational invariant estimator is a key step. This estimator can be obtained asymptotically for large covariance matrices, without knowledge of the true covariance matrix. In this study, we demonstrate that this minimization problem is equivalent to minimizing the loss of information between the true population covariance and the rotational invariant estimator for normal multivariate variables.

Magneto-Optical Detection of the Orbital Hall Effect in Chromium.

The orbital Hall effect has been theoretically predicted but its direct observation is a challenge. Here, we report the magneto-optical detection of current-induced orbital accumulation at the surface of a light 3d transition metal, Cr. The orbital polarization is in-plane, transverse to the current direction, and scales linearly with current density, consistent with the orbital Hall effect.

Frequency-Independent Terahertz Anomalous Hall Effect in DyCo , Co Fe , and Gd Fe Thin Films from DC to 40 THz.

The anomalous Hall effect (AHE) is a fundamental spintronic charge-to-charge-current conversion phenomenon and closely related to spin-to-charge-current conversion by the spin Hall effect. Future high-speed spintronic devices will crucially rely on such conversion phenomena at terahertz (THz) frequencies. Here, it is revealed that the AHE remains operative from DC up to 40 THz with a flat frequency response in thin films of three technologically relevant magnetic materials: DyCo , Co Fe , and Gd Fe .

Orbitally dominated Rashba-Edelstein effect in noncentrosymmetric antiferromagnets.

Efficient manipulation of magnetic order with electric current pulses is desirable for achieving fast spintronic devices. The Rashba-Edelstein effect, wherein spin polarization is electrically induced in noncentrosymmetric systems, provides a mean to achieve staggered spin-orbit torques. Initially predicted for spin, its orbital counterpart has been disregarded up to now.

Generalisation of Gilbert damping and magnetic inertia parameter as a series of higher-order relativistic terms.

The phenomenological Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation of motion remains as the cornerstone of contemporary magnetisation dynamics studies, wherein the Gilbert damping parameter has been attributed to first-order relativistic effects. To include magnetic inertial effects the LLG equation has previously been extended with a supplemental inertia term; the arising inertial dynamics has been related to second-order relativistic effects. Here we start from the relativistic Dirac equation and, performing a Foldy-Wouthuysen transformation, derive a generalised Pauli spin Hamiltonian that contains relativistic correction terms to any higher order.

Signatures of relativistic spin-light coupling in magneto-optical pump-probe experiments.

Femtosecond magneto-optical pump-probe measurements of ultrafast demagnetization show an intriguing difference in the first 100 fs of the magneto-optical Kerr response depending on whether the polarization of the pump and probe beams are in parallel or perpendicular configuration (Bigot et al 2009 Nat. Phys. 5 515).

Ab Initio Theory of Coherent Laser-Induced Magnetization in Metals.

We present the first materials specific ab initio theory of the magnetization induced by circularly polarized laser light in metals. Our calculations are based on nonlinear density matrix theory and include the effect of absorption. We show that the induced magnetization, commonly referred to as inverse Faraday effect, is strongly materials and frequency dependent, and demonstrate the existence of both spin and orbital induced magnetizations which exhibit a surprisingly different behavior.

Interplay between quantum interference and conformational fluctuations in single-molecule break junctions.

We theoretically explored the combined role of conformational fluctuations and quantum interference in determining the electrical conductance of single-molecule break junctions. In particular we computed the conductance of a family of methylsulfide-functionalized trans-α,ω-diphenyloligoene molecules, with terminal phenyl rings containing meta or para linkages, for which (at least in the absence of fluctuations) destructive interference in the former is expected to decrease their electrical conductance compared with the latter. We compared the predictions of density functional theory (DFT), in which fluctuational effects are absent, with results for the conformationally-averaged conductance obtained from an ensemble of conformations obtained from classical molecular dynamics.