We present here the construction and application of a compact benchtop time-resolved Kerr magnetometer to measure the magnetization precession in magnetic thin films and lithographically patterned elements. As opposed to very expensive femtosecond lasers this system is built upon a picosecond pulsed injection diode laser and electronic pulse and delay generators. The precession is triggered by the electronic pulses of controlled duration and shape, which is launched onto the sample by a microstrip line. We used polarized optical pulses synchronous to the electronic pulses to measure the magneto-optical Kerr rotation. The system is integrated in a conventional upright microscope configuration with separate illumination, imaging, and magneto-optical probe paths. The system offers high stability, relative ease of alignment, sample changing, and a long range of time delay. We demonstrate the measurements of time-resolved dynamics of a Permalloy microwire and microdot using this system, which showed dynamics at two different time scales.
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December 2008
Research Article|
December 23 2008
Benchtop time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr magnetometer
Anjan Barman;
1Department of Physics,
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
2
RIKEN ASI
, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
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T. Kimura;
T. Kimura
2
RIKEN ASI
, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
3Institute for Solid State Physics,
University of Tokyo
, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan
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Y. Otani;
Y. Otani
2
RIKEN ASI
, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
3Institute for Solid State Physics,
University of Tokyo
, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan
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Y. Fukuma;
Y. Fukuma
2
RIKEN ASI
, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
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K. Akahane;
K. Akahane
4
Neoark Corporation
, 2026-21 Nakanomachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0015, Japan
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S. Meguro
S. Meguro
4
Neoark Corporation
, 2026-21 Nakanomachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0015, Japan
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a)
Electronic mail: abarman@physics.iitd.ac.in.
Rev. Sci. Instrum. 79, 123905 (2008)
Article history
Received:
October 13 2008
Accepted:
November 30 2008
Citation
Anjan Barman, T. Kimura, Y. Otani, Y. Fukuma, K. Akahane, S. Meguro; Benchtop time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr magnetometer. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 1 December 2008; 79 (12): 123905. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3053353
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