Kvantmekanik, FK5020

The course is taught using research-based principles for effective teaching.

My group's research efforts focus on the use of strong laser fields (in particular in the near-infrared and terahertz range) to manipulate quantum materials out of equilibrium on the ultrafast time scales. The response of these materials is probed with femtosecond lasers or femtosecond x-ray pulses generated at free electron lasers. Particular focus is dedicated to the investigation of spin dynamics in condensed matter.

 

A selection from Stockholm University publication database

• X-ray imaging of spin currents and magnetisation dynamics at the nanoscale

  2017. Stefano Bonetti. Journal of Physics 29 (13)

  Article

  Understanding how spins move in time and space is the aim of both fundamental and applied research in modern magnetism. Over the past three decades, research in this field has led to technological advances that have had a major impact on our society, while improving the understanding of the fundamentals of spin physics. However, important questions still remain unanswered, because it is experimentally challenging to directly observe spins and their motion with a combined high spatial and temporal resolution. In this article, we present an overview of the recent advances in x-ray microscopy that allow researchers to directly watch spins move in time and space at the microscopically relevant scales. We discuss scanning x-ray transmission microscopy (STXM) at resonant soft x-ray edges, which is available at most modern synchrotron light sources. This technique measures magnetic contrast through the x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) effect at the resonant absorption edges, while focusing the x-ray radiation at the nanometre scale, and using the intrinsic pulsed structure of synchrotron-generated x-rays to create time-resolved images of magnetism at the nanoscale. In particular, we discuss how the presence of spin currents can be detected by imaging spin accumulation, and how the magnetisation dynamics in thin ferromagnetic films can be directly imaged. We discuss how a direct look at the phenomena allows for a deeper understanding of the the physics at play, that is not accessible to other, more indirect techniques. Finally, we present an overview of the exciting opportunities that lie ahead to further understand the fundamentals of novel spin physics, opportunities offered by the appearance of diffraction limited storage rings and free electron lasers.

  Read more about X-ray imaging of spin currents and magnetisation dynamics at the nanoscale

• Local terahertz field enhancement for time-resolved x-ray diffraction

  2017. M. Kozina (et al.). Applied Physics Letters 110 (8)

  Article

  We report local field strength enhancement of single-cycle terahertz (THz) pulses in an ultrafast time-resolved x-ray diffraction experiment. We show that patterning the sample with gold microstructures increases the THz field without changing the THz pulse shape or drastically affecting the quality of the x-ray diffraction pattern. We find a five-fold increase in THz-induced x-ray diffraction intensity change in the presence of microstructures on a SrTiO3 thin-film sample.

  Read more about Local terahertz field enhancement for time-resolved x-ray diffraction

• THz-Driven Ultrafast Spin-Lattice Scattering in Amorphous Metallic Ferromagnets

  2016. Stefano Bonetti (et al.). Physical Review Letters 117 (8)

  Article

  We use single-cycle THz fields and the femtosecond magneto-optical Kerr effect to, respectively, excite and probe the magnetization dynamics in two thin-film ferromagnets with different lattice structures: crystalline Fe and amorphous CoFeB. We observe Landau-Lifshitz-torque magnetization dynamics of comparable magnitude in both systems, but only the amorphous sample shows ultrafast demagnetization caused by the spin-lattice depolarization of the THz-induced ultrafast spin current. Quantitative modeling shows that such spin-lattice scattering events occur on similar time scales than the conventional spin conserving electronic scattering (similar to 30 fs). This is significantly faster than optical laser-induced demagnetization. THz conductivity measurements point towards the influence of lattice disorder in amorphous CoFeB as the driving force for enhanced spin-lattice scattering.

  Read more about THz-Driven Ultrafast Spin-Lattice Scattering in Amorphous Metallic Ferromagnets

• Direct Observation of a Localized Magnetic Soliton in a Spin-Transfer Nanocontact

  2015. D. Backes (et al.). Physical Review Letters 115 (12)

  Article

  We report the direct observation of a localized magnetic soliton in a spin-transfer nanocontact using scanning transmission x-ray microscopy. Experiments are conducted on a lithographically defined 150 nm diameter nanocontact to an ultrathin ferromagnetic multilayer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Element-resolved x-ray magnetic circular dichroism images show an abrupt onset of a magnetic soliton excitation localized beneath the nanocontact at a threshold current. However, the amplitude of the excitation ≃25° at the contact center is far less than that predicted (⪅180°), showing that the spin dynamics is not described by existing models.

  Read more about Direct Observation of a Localized Magnetic Soliton in a Spin-Transfer Nanocontact

• Direct observation and imaging of a spin-wave soliton with p-like symmetry

  2015. Stefano Bonetti (et al.). Nature Communications 6

  Article

  Spin waves, the collective excitations of spins, can emerge as nonlinear solitons at the nanoscale when excited by an electrical current from a nanocontact. These solitons are expected to have essentially cylindrical symmetry (that is, s-like), but no direct experimental observation exists to confirm this picture. Using a high-sensitivity time-resolved magnetic X-ray microscopy with 50 ps temporal resolution and 35 nm spatial resolution, we are able to create a real-space spin-wave movie and observe the emergence of a localized soliton with a nodal line, that is, with p-like symmetry. Micromagnetic simulations explain the measurements and reveal that the symmetry of the soliton can be controlled by magnetic fields. Our results broaden the understanding of spin-wave dynamics at the nanoscale, with implications for the design of magnetic nanodevices.

  Read more about Direct observation and imaging of a spin-wave soliton with p-like symmetry

• X-ray Detection of Transient Magnetic Moments Induced by a Spin Current in Cu.

  2015. R. Kukreja (et al.). Physical Review Letters 115 (9)

  Article

  We have used a MHz lock-in x-ray spectromicroscopy technique to directly detect changes in magnetic moment of Cu due to spin injection from an adjacent Co layer. The elemental and chemical specificity of x rays allows us to distinguish two spin current induced effects. We detect the creation of transient magnetic moments of 3×10^{-5}μ_{B} on Cu atoms within the bulk of the 28 nm thick Cu film due to spin accumulation. The moment value is compared to predictions by Mott's two current model. We also observe that the hybridization induced existing magnetic moments at the Cu interface atoms are transiently increased by about 10% or 4×10^{-3}μ_{B} per atom. This reveals the dominance of spin-torque alignment over Joule heat induced disorder of the interfacial Cu moments during current flow.

  Read more about X-ray Detection of Transient Magnetic Moments Induced by a Spin Current in Cu.

Show all publications by Stefano Bonetti at Stockholm University