title: Band-structure-dependent demagnetization in the Heusler alloy Co₂Mn(1-x)FexSi.
abstract: We investigate the ultrafast demagnetization for two Heusler alloys (Co₂Mn(1-x)FexSi) with a different lineup of the minority band gap and the Fermi level. Even though electronic spin-flip transitions are partially blocked by the band gap in one compound, the respective magnetization dynamics, as measured by the time-resolved Kerr effect, are remarkably similar. Based on a dynamical model that includes momentum and spin-dependent carrier scattering, we show that the magnetization dynamics are dominated by hole spin-flip processes, which are not influenced by the gap.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern, 67653 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Steil
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alebrand
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krauss
authors.forename: Takahide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Mikihiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oogane
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Hans Christian
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aeschlimann
authors.forename: Mirko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cinchetti