The use of femtosecond laser pulses generated by a Ti:Sapphire laser system allows us to gain an insight into the magnetization dynamics on time scales from sub-picosecond up to 1 ns directly in the time domain. This experimental technique is used to excite a polycrystalline nickel (Ni) film optically and probe the dynamics afterwards. Different spin wave modes (the Kittel mode, perpendicular standing spin-wave modes (PSSW) and dipolar spin-wave modes (Damon-Eshbach modes)) are identified as the Ni thickness is increased. The Kittel mode allows determination of the Gilbert damping parameter alpha extracted from the magnetization relaxation time tau_alpha. The non-local damping by spin currents emitted into a non-magnetic metallic layer of vanadium (V), palladium (Pd) and the rare earth dysprosium (Dy) are studied for wedge-shaped Ni films 1 nm-30 nm. The damping parameter increases from alpha=0.045 intrinsic for nickel to alpha>0.10 for the heavy materials, such as Pd and Dy, for the thinnest Ni films below 10 nm thickness. Also, for the thinnest reference Ni film thickness, an increased magnetic damping below 4 nm is observed. The origin of this increase is discussed within the framework of line broadening by locally different precessional frequencies within the laser spot region.
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