COST Action MAGNETOFON
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Ultrafast opto-magneto-electronics for non-dissipative information technology
The explosive growth of digital data use and storage leads to an enormous rise in energy consumption, which is rapidly becoming unsustainable. Ultrafast opto-magneto-electronics is an emerging field that combines the ideas and concepts of opto-magnetism and spin transport with photonics for ultrafast low-dissipative manipulation and storage of information. Both light and spin currents can control magnetic order, but mechanisms as well as corresponding time scales and energy dissipation differ. The MAGNETOFON Action aims at the best of both worlds, combining short time scales and non-dissipative propagation of light with nanoscale selectivity and strong interactions of spin currents. The ultimate goal is to create and implement non-volatile, low-dissipative, and ultrafast functional elements for data technology. The research objectives of the MAGNETOFON Action will be achieved by combining the existing expertise of the scientific communities dealing with ultrafast magnetism, spintronics, magnonics,
photonics and advanced spectroscopy, and by sharing the new knowledge arising from the exchange between them. This Action will result in a considerable leap in the quality and effectiveness of research in Europe, by bridging the existing gaps between these areas. The ambition of the Action is to initiate a breakthrough in the field of low-dissipative opto-magnetism and femtosecond spintronics with the help of a joint scientific program bringing together presently nearly non-overlapping scientific communities. By training a new generation of scientists at the interface of the involved disciplines, further development of the field will be ensured together with a successful translation of the scientific breakthroughs into innovative technological solutions.
WG1. All-optical switching/manipulation of magnetization
Task 1.1. All-optical switching in ferrimagnetic alloys and multilayers: To investigate the roles of local exchange-driven angular momentum transfer versus non-local one by super-diffusive currents, and to optimize this transfer for optimal switching
Task 1.2. All-optical switching based on inverse opto-magnetic effects: To investigate the efficiency of the inverse opto-magnetic effects in thin films and multilayers, and the feasibility of single-pulse switching.
Task 1.3. Feasibility of switching via the modification of magnetic anisotropy or exchange interaction: To study the possibility to modify the intrinsic magnetic parameters with a laser pulse, and to evaluate the feasibility of magnetic switching via this modification
Task 1.4. Magnetization reversal in thin film and multilayer ferrimagnets driven by current pulses: To investigate the possibility to use short electric pulses to switch the magnetization
WG2. Optics of spin currents
T2.1. Generation of controlled hot electrons using fast laser excitation in engineered multilayers: To study the conversion efficiency of photons to hot electrons as well as the energy, the density and the polarisation of hot electrons generated by short laser pulses
T2.2. Magnetization switching with hot electrons: To study the feasibility and efficiency of single-pulse switching via hot-electron transport, exploring different structures to increase switching frequencies
T2.3. Laser-driven spin-orbitronics: To study the spin-orbit interaction induced effects on laser-driven ballistic and superdiffusive currents.
T2.4. THz control and detection of spin currents: To develop techniques and study the spin current behaviour at THz frequencies
WG3. Ultrafast magneto-electrics
T3.1 Inverse opto-magnetic effects and crystal symmetry: To study the symmetry properties of opto-magnetic effects, their polarization and spectroscopic dependencies, including light-induced modifications of the symmetry
T3.2 Modification of key magnetic parameters: exchange and magneto-crystalline anisotropy: To search for the microscopic mechanisms that allow such manipulation
T3.3 All-optical switching in magnetic and multiferroic dielectrics: To investigate and summarize various mechanisms that may lead to a single optical pulse magnetic recording in dielectrics
T3.4 Dynamics in magneto-electrics and multiferroics driven by short THz pulses: To separate the effects of electric and magnetic fields of intense THz radiation on the magnetization in dielectrics
WG4. Ultrafast opto-magnonics
T4.1 Optical shaping of magnonic currents: To realize optical control of wave vectors and wave fronts of excited magnons; to investigate options for sub-wavelength magnonics
T4.2 Electric excitation and detection of optically-driven magnonic currents: To study short time scale behaviour of spin-torque transfer, spin-Hall effect, etc., via electric pulses.
T4.3 Magnonic crystals and reconfigurable magnonic devices: To use engineered structures for optimization of magnon excitation, propagation and focusing.
T4.4 Magnonic currents generated in metals via all-optical switching: To study the interaction of magnonic currents with the electronic system in metals at the ultrashort time scale.
COST is supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020
