Spin Dynamics at Interfaces on Femtosecond Timescales

The interaction of femtosecond laser pulses with ferromagnetic metals and their heterostructures drives a range of dynamic magnetic phenomena including ultrafast demagnetization and spin-dependent charge transport. Controlling these dynamics might pave the way to future ultrafast spintronics applications. This however requires gaining microscopic insight into the underlying processes. Time-resolved magneto-optical and x-ray spectroscopies provide such insight in combination with ab initio theory, revealing the competition of femtosecond spin transfer with spin-orbit coupling as well as the influence of local correlations on the transient band structure of the 3d ferromagnets.