Magnetic Configuration Driven Femtosecond Spin Dynamics in Synthetic Antiferromagnets

Ultrafast demagnetization in diverse materials has sparked immense research activities due to its captivating richness and contested underlying mechanisms. Among these, the two most celebrated mechanisms have been the spin-flip scattering (SFS) and spin transport (ST) of optically excited carriers. In this work, we have investigated femtosecond laser-induced ultrafast demagnetization in perpendicular magnetic anisotropy-based synthetic antiferromagnets (p-SAFs) where [Co/Pt]n−1/Co multilayer blocks are separated by Ru or Ir spacers. Our investigation conclusively shows that the ST of optically excited carriers can have a significant contribution to the ultrafast demagnetization in addition to SFS processes. Moreover, we have also achieved an active control over the individual mechanisms by specially designing the SAF samples and altering the external magnetic field and excitation fluence. Our study provides a vital understanding of the underlying mechanism of ultrafast demagnetization in synthetic antiferromagnets, which will be crucial in future research and applications of antiferromagnetic spintronics.