Abstract

Fast processes associated with changes in the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic media are of both fundamental and applied interest. While there are extensive studies of hot electron relaxation in nonmagnetic metals using ultrafast laser techniques,^3,4 direct microscopic information about the spin and magnetization dynamics is very scarce.² As shown here, we obtain considerable additional insight to microscopic spin dynamics of a ferromagnetically ordered system by using an ultrafast magneto-optical technique.

© 1998 Optical Society of America