Photo-excited precession of magnetization in (Ga,Mn)As is investigated by measuring time-resolved magneto-optical response and transient differential reflectivity with pump-and-probe technique. In the time region less than 1 ps, rapidly oscillating a
nd spike-like signals are observed, respectively, with excitation of below and above the GaAs band gap. Analysis with gyromagnetic model and autocorrelation function concludes that those signals are not attributed to ultrafast demagnetization but due to interference between pump and probe pulses incorporating sub-ps carrier dynamics characteristic of low-temperature grown semiconductors. Photo-ionization of Mn ions (Mn2+ -> Mn3+) is proposed as a mechanism which dynamically induces orbital angular momentum and affects hole-mediated magnetic anisotropy in (Ga,Mn)As.
Dependence of photo-induced FMR (phi-FMR) on incident angle of excitation and probing laser beams has been studied in a [Co (dCo = 0.78 nm) / Pd (dPd = 0.81 nm) ]5 multi-layer film with the aim to find experimentally the limitation of inducement and
detection of magnetization dynamics with oblique light incidence. We have found, in the experiments changing the incident angle of a pump beam, that phi-FMR is observed up to the grazing incident angle of 88 degrees with p-polarized excitation pulses, whereas it disappears at the incidence angle of around 65 degrees with s-polarized excitation. As for the experiments changing the incident angle of a probe beam, phi-FMR disappears at the incidence angle of 65 degrees for both s- and p-polarizations, whereas it reappears with further increasing the angle for the p-polarization and vanishes at 75 degrees.
Helicity-dependent photocurrent delta-I has been detected successfully under experimental configuration that a circularly polarized light beam is impinged with a right angle on a cleaved sidewall of the Fe/x-AlOx/GaAs-based n-i-p double-heterostructu
re. The photocurrent delta-I has showed a well-defined hysteresis loop which resembles that of the magnetization of the in-plane magnetized Fe layer in the devices. The value of delta-I has been |delta-I|~0.2 nA at 5 K under the remnant magnetization state. Study on temperature dependence of the relative delta-I value at H = 0 has revealed that it is maximized at temperatures 125 - 150 K, and is still measurable at room temperature.
Fabrication and optical characteristics of a spin light-emitting-diode (spin-LED) having dual spin-injection electrodes with anti-parallel magnetization configuration are reported. Alternating a current between the two electrodes using a PC-driven cu
rrent source has led us to the observation of helicity switching of circular polarization at the frequency of 1 kHz. Neither external magnetic fields nor optical delay modulators were used. Sending dc-currents to both electrodes with appropriate ratio has resulted in continuous variation of circular polarization between the two opposite helicity, including the null polarization. These results suggest that the tested spin-LED has the feasibility of a monolithic light source whose circular polarization can be switched or continuously tuned all electrically.
