Photoinduced Transient States of Antiferromagnetic Orderings in La${}_{1/3}$Sr${}_{2/3}$FeO${}_{3}$ and SrFeO${}_{3}$ Thin Films Observed through Time-resolved Resonant Soft X-ray Scattering

Abstract

The relationship between the magnetic interaction and photoinduced dynamics in antiferromagnetic perovskites is investigated in this study. In La${}_{1/3}$Sr${}_{2/3}$FeO${}_{3}$ thin films, commensurate spin ordering is accompanied by charge disproportionation, whereas SrFeO${}_{3}$ thin films show incommensurate helical antiferromagnetic spin ordering due to increased ferromagnetic coupling compared to La${}_{1/3}$Sr${}_{2/3}$FeO${}_{3}$. To understand the photoinduced spin dynamics in these materials, we investigate the spin ordering through time-resolved resonant soft X-ray scattering. In La${}_{1/3}$Sr${}_{2/3}$FeO${}_{3}$, ultrafast quenching of the magnetic ordering within 130 fs through a nonthermal process is observed, triggered by charge transfer between the Fe atoms. We compare this to the photoinduced dynamics of the helical magnetic ordering of SrFeO${}_{3}$. We find that the change in the magnetic coupling through optically induced charge transfer can offer an even more efficient channel for spin-order manipulation.