Ultrafast optical control of electron spin is an exciting method for writing magnetic memory with write times on the order of hundreds of femtoseconds. However, most ultrafast optical writing of magnetization has been conducted with high laser fluence (⪆ 1 mJ/cm2) which leads to excessive heating required for deterministic high-power magnetization switching. We present time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect observations with laser fluence 1000 times lower than previous studies, to demonstrate low-power optical control of spin in Co/Pd ultrathin multilayers. We observe clear trends between the ferromagnetic layer thickness and significant enhancement in the amplitude of optically excited magnetization precession, and demonstrate the importance of large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy for achieving high sensitivity of electron spin to low power optical excitation. Lastly, we observe a magnetization precession cone angle double of those previously reported which is an important step to achieve a 90-degree precession angle, needed for magnetization switching.
SignificanceThe depolarization of circularly polarized light (CPL) caused by scattering in turbid media reveals structural information about the dispersed particles, such as their size, density, and distribution, which is useful for investigating the state of biological tissue. However, the correlation between depolarization strength and tissue parameters is unclear.AimWe aimed to examine the generalized correlations of depolarization strength with the particle size and wavelength, yielding depolarization diagrams.ApproachThe correlation between depolarization intensity and size parameter was examined for single and multiple scattering using the Monte Carlo simulation method. Expanding the wavelength width allows us to obtain depolarization distribution diagrams as functions of wavelength and particle diameter for reflection and transparent geometries.ResultsCPL suffers intensive depolarization in a single scattering against particles of various specific sizes for its wavelength, which becomes more noticeable in the multiple scattering regime.ConclusionsThe depolarization diagrams with particle size and wavelength as independent variables were obtained, which are particularly helpful for investigating the feasibility of various particle-monitoring methods. Based on the obtained diagrams, several applications have been proposed, including blood cell monitoring, early embryogenesis, and antigen–antibody interactions.
Quantitative information about invasion depth of cancer in early stages is very beneficial to cancer diagnosis, which is difficult to obtain accurately using current biological imaging technologies. Circularly polarized light scattering method proposed as a novel biomedical evaluation technique can provide depth profile by varying the incident or detection angles of CPL as well as wavelength of CPL. This paper reports the results of Monte Carlo simulations and experiments to demonstrate cancer depth estimation using this technique.
Quantitative depth of tumor invasion in early gastric cancer cases via the scattering of circularly polarized light was computationally and experimentally estimated. Invasion depth information of cancer in early stages, which is difficult to obtain accurately using current biological imaging technologies, is very beneficial for cancer diagnosis. The circularly polarized light scattering method, proposed as a novel biomedical evaluation technique, can provide depth profiles by varying the incident or detection angles as well as wavelengths of circularly polarized light. Incident circularly polarized light is gradually depolarized owing to multiple scattering against cell nuclei in biological tissues. Since the degree of depolarization significantly depends on the size and shape of the scattering particles, the enlargement of cell nuclei in the scattering volume due to cancerization can be investigated by assaying the polarization of scattered light. This paper reports the results of Monte Carlo simulations and experiments to demonstrate cancer depth estimation using this technique. The Monte Carlo simulation for bilayered pseudo-tissues with a cancerous layer on a healthy layer indicates that the degree of circular polarization of scattered light shows systematic changes depending on the thickness and depth of cancerous tissues. Additionally experiments with bilayered biological tissues exhibits the same tendency as the simulation results.
The circular polarization (CP) of light scattered by biological tissues provides valuable information about the structural changes in tissues. We investigate the spatial discrimination of cancer using CP light scattering within the in-plane and along the depth direction. In-plane spatial resolution was investigated using experiments on sliced biological tissues, which show a noticeable difference in polarization values between healthy and cancerous parts in a wide angular range. The resolution in the depth direction is examined with the Monte Carlo calculation method on pseudo-tissues having thin cancerous layers on healthy tissues. The calculation results suggest that the thickness of cancer can be estimated by detecting the degree of circular polarization values with different detection angles. The in-plane and depth resolutions are approximately 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm, respectively.
Electroluminescence with nearly pure circular polarization (CP) at room temperature (RT) together with electrical helicity control [1, 2] has been demonstrated by a lateral-type spin-polarized light emitting diodes (LT-spin-LEDs) consisting of AlGaAs/GaAs double-heterostructures and the crystalline AlOx (x-AlOx) tunneling barrier [3]. In this LT-spin-LED, relatively high current density of J > 100 A/cm2 was required to achieve the circular polarization of P ~ 0.95. Operation with J > 100 A/cm2, however, often resulted in irreversible breakdown and short-lived spin-LED. In order to suppress this breakdown, we have studied fabrication of LT-spin-LED devices incorporating x-AlOx/AlAs hybrid tunneling barriers. With AlAs layers that are inserted between the x-AlOx layer and a top n-GaAs layer of LT-spin-LED, we aim at reinforcing electrical robustness of x-AlOx layers that are formed by oxidation of Al epilayers at RT. Nearly pure CP emissions (~ 0.92) are obtained from LT-spin-LED devices with hybrid tunneling barriers at J ~ 10 A/cm2. To our surprise, current density for pure CP emission decreases to about one-tenth and the yield of device fabrication is significantly improved (~ 5 % -> ~ 67 %). It is supposed that growth of AlAs layers prior to the formation of x-AlOx layers gives rise to improvement of crystalline quality of x-AlOx layers in terms of suppression of defects in the oxide layer and/or those across x-AlOx/AlAs/n-GaAs interfaces. [1] N. Nishizawa et al., PNAS 114, 1783 (2017). [2] N. Nishizawa et al., APEX 11, 053003 (2018). [3] N. Nishizawa et al., JAP 114, 033507 (2013).
A lateral-type spin-photodiode having a refracting facet on a side edge of the device is proposed and fabricated experimentally. The light impinged on the side of the device is refracted and shed directly on the backside of a spin-detecting Fe contact where spin-polarized carriers are generated in a thin InGaAs active layer and injected in the Fe contact through a crystalline AlOx tunnel barrier. Experiments are carried out at room temperature with photocurrent set up with circular polarization spectrometry, through which light-helicity-dependent photocurrent component, ΔI, is obtained with the spin detection efficiency F ≈ 0.4 %, where F is the ratio between ΔI and total photocurrent. This value is the highest reported so far for lateral-type spin-photodiodes. It is discussed that improving the quality of the p-InGaAs/x-AlOx/Fe interfaces will give rise to higher F values.
In 2014, we were able to report 1-kHz, electrical helicity switching of circular polarization (CP) at low temperatures using dual-electrode spin-LEDs [1] and detection of CP up to RT by operating reversely the spin-LEDs [2]. Those LEDs consisted of n-AlGaAs/undoped-InGaAs/p-AlGaAs double heterojunctions and newly developed crystalline γ-like AlOx (x-AlOx) tunnel barriers [3]. Presented here are progresses made in the period 2014-2015, including 1-MHz helicity switching, a high CP value of PEL = 0.12 at RT, and development of a phenomenological model for spin photodiode (PD), all of which are important towards the realization of spin-photonic devices.
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