New concept for magnetization switching by ultrafast acoustic pulses

It is shown theoretically that a single acoustic pulse, a few picoseconds long, can reverse magnetization in a magnetostrictive material Terfenol-D. Following giant magnetoelastic changes of free energy density, the magnetization vector is ejected from a local in-plane energy minimum and decays into another minimum. For an acoustic pulse duration significantly shorter than magnetization precession period τ_ac T_prec, the switching threshold is determined by the acoustic pulse area, i.e., pulse integral in the time domain, similar to coherent phenomena in optics. Simulation results are summarized in a magnetoacoustic switching diagram and discussed in the context of all-optical magnetization switching by circularly polarized light pulses.