Picosecond Pulsed Magnetic Fields for Studies of Ultrafast Magnetic Phenomena

Ultrafast optical techniques are used to develop new time-resolved probes of magnetic dynamics. Picosecond-scale magnetic field pulses are launched from a photoconductive switch and applied to small samples which are then probed by time-delayed optical pulses, yielding temporal information in a conventional stroboscopic manner. Characteristics of the magnetic field pulses are described, and illustrated through measurements of rapid relaxation effects in europium sulfide films at low temperatures. © 1991 IEEE