Gallery: Magnetization Dynamics in Thin Film Devices

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TR-MOKE Setup

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 2-Tesla Electromagnet

Summary:

Time-Resolved Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect (TR-MOKE) is an ultrafast pump-probe technique that utilizes a femtosecond laser to probe the Kerr angle (and thus the magnetizion direction) as a function of time in thin films. The pump pulse from the laser causes the sampmle to go through ultrafast demagnetization, and as the magnetization recovers, it begins to precess around an equilibrium direction. The probe beam is able to measure the change in polarization due to the Kerr effect (which directly relates to the through plane component of magnetization) with a sub-picosecond resolution. A 2 T electromagnet means gives a large range of fields to fully characterize samples.