Superdiffusive Spin Transport and Ultrafast Magnetization Dynamics : Femtosecond spin transport as the route to ultrafast spintronics

The debate over the origin of the ultrafast demagnetization has been intensively active for the past 16 years. Several microscopic mechanisms have been proposed but none has managed so far to provide direct and incontrovertible evidences of their validity. In this context I have proposed an approach based on spin dependent electron superdiffusion as the driver of the ultrafast demagnetization. Excited electrons and holes in the ferromagnetic metal start diffusing after the absorption of the laser photons. Being the material ferromagnetic, the majority and minority spin channels occupy very different bands. It is then not surprising that transport properties are strongly spin dependent. In most of the ferromagnetic metals, majority spin excited electrons have better transport properties than minority ones. The effect is that majority carriers are more efficient in leaving the area irradiated by the laser, triggering a net spin transport. Recent experimental findings are revolutionising the field by being incompatible with previously proposed models and showing uncontrovertibly the sign of spin superdiffusion. We have shown that spin diffusing away from a layer undergoing ultrafast demagnetization can be used to create an ultrafast increase of magnetization in a neighboring magnetic layer. We have also shown that optical excitation is not a prerequisite for the ultrafast demagnetization and that excited electrons superdiffusing from a non-magnetic substrate can trigger the demagnetization. Finally we have shown that it is possible to control the time shape of the spin currents created and developed a technique to detect directly spin currents in a contact-less way. The impact of these new discoveries goes beyond the solution of the mystery of ultrafast demagnetization. It shows how spin information can be, not only manipulated, as shown 16 years ago, but most importantly transferred at unprecedented speeds. This new discovery lays the basis for a full femtosecond spintronics