title: New concept for magnetization switching by ultrafast acoustic pulses.
abstract: It is shown theoretically that a single acoustic pulse, a few picoseconds long, can reverse magnetization in a magnetostrictive material Terfenol-D. Following giant magnetoelastic changes of free energy density, the magnetization vector is ejected from a local in-plane energy minimum and decays into another minimum. For an acoustic pulse duration significantly shorter than magnetization precession period τac≪Tprec, the switching threshold is determined by the acoustic pulse area, i.e., pulse integral in the time domain, similar to coherent phenomena in optics. Simulation results are summarized in a magnetoacoustic switching diagram and discussed in the context of all-optical magnetization switching by circularly polarized light pulses.
authors.affiliation: Institut des Molécules et Matériaux du Mans, UMR CNRS 6283, Université du Maine, 72085 Le Mans cedex, France.
authors.forename: Oleksandr
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kovalenko
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pezeril
authors.forename: Vasily V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Temnov