High sensitivity pump–probe measurements of magnetic, thermal, and acoustic phenomena with a spectrally tunable oscillator

We describe an optical pump/probe system for sensitive measurements of time-resolved optical measurements of material dynamics. The instrument design is optimized for time-resolved magneto-optic Kerr effect (TR-MOKE) measurements of dynamics in magnetic materials. The system also allows for time-dom...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Review of scientific instruments 2020-02, Vol.91 (2), p.023905-023905
Main Authors: Gomez, Michael J., Liu, Kexin, Lee, Jonathan G., Wilson, Richard B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acoustic noise
Acoustic properties
Beams (radiation)
Design optimization
Elastic properties
Film thickness
Kerr magnetooptical effect
Magnetic materials
Noise intensity
Optical measurement
Optical pumping
Optical resonance
Scientific apparatus & instruments
Time measurement
Transport properties
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Summary:We describe an optical pump/probe system for sensitive measurements of time-resolved optical measurements of material dynamics. The instrument design is optimized for time-resolved magneto-optic Kerr effect (TR-MOKE) measurements of dynamics in magnetic materials. The system also allows for time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) measurements of thermal transport properties and picosecond acoustic measurements of film thickness and/or elastic constants. The system has several advantages over the conventional designs for TR-MOKE and/or TDTR systems. Measurements of pump-induced changes to the probe beam intensity are shot-noise limited. The system’s design allows for MOKE and/or thermoreflectance measurements of both sides of a sample. Pumping and probing the sample on opposite sides allows nanoscale flash diffusivity measurements of transport properties. The wavelengths of the pump and probe beams are straightforward to tune between 350–525 nm and 690–1050 nm. A tunable wavelength allows for optical resonances in a wide array of materials to be excited and/or probed. Finally, the setup is calibrated to allow for the real and imaginary components of Kerr signals to be separately quantified.
ISSN:0034-6748
1089-7623
DOI:10.1063/1.5126121