Spin polarization in half-metals probed by femtosecond spin excitation

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Output type: Journal article

Author list: Muller GM, Walowski J, Djordjevic M, Miao GX, Gupta A, Ramos AV, Gehrke K, Moshnyaga V, Samwer K, Schmalhorst J, Thomas A, Hutten A, Reiss G, Moodera JS, Munzenberg M

Publisher: Nature Research

Publication year: 2009

Journal: Nature Materials (1476-1122)

Volume number: 8

Issue number: 1

Start page: 56

End page: 61

Number of pages: 6

ISSN: 1476-1122

eISSN: 1476-4660

Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)

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Open access status: closed

Abstract

Knowledge of the spin polarization is of fundamental importance for the use of a material in spintronics applications. Here, we used femtosecond optical excitation of half-metals to distinguish between half-metallic and metallic properties. Because the direct energy transfer by Elliot-Yafet scattering is blocked in a half-metal, the demagnetization time is a measure for the degree of half-metallicity. We propose that this characteristic enables us vice versa to establish a novel and fast characterization tool for this highly important material class used in spin-electronic devices. The technique has been applied to a variety of materials where the spin polarization at the Fermi level ranges from 45 to 98%: Ni, Co2MnSi, Fe3O4, La0.66Sr0.33MnO3 and CrO2.

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