Zeynab Sadeghi, Tomas Ostatnicky, Eva Schmoranzerova, Jozef Kimak, Dominik Kriegner, Helena Reichlova, Lukas Nadvornik, Gunther Sprinhgholtz, J. Hugo Dil, Juraj Krempasky, Petr Nemec
The multiferroic semiconductor GeMnTe exhibits ferroelectricity, strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling, and carrier-mediated magnetic order, making it a unique platform for exploring the interplay among electronic, structural, and magnetic degrees of freedom. In this study, we investigate the ultrafast magnetization dynamics of Ge0.85Mn0.15Te using time-resolved magneto-optical spectroscopy. By separating magnetic and nonmagnetic contributions in the transient response, we identify two distinct laser-induced magnetic phenomena, both resulting from photoinduced effective spin-orbit torque. Coherent magnetization precession arises from a laser-induced increase in hole concentration, which modifies the occupation of Rashba-split spin-locked valence band states and alters the magnetic easy axis. The transient change in magnetic ordering, observed as variations in the coercive field, is attributed to laser-induced modifications of the ferroelectric sublattice displacement, which affect the ferroelectric polarization and the associated Rashba spin-orbit interaction. While the first type of optical spin-orbit torque has already been observed in the diluted magnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As, the second effect is unique to the multiferroic Rashba semiconductor (Ge,Mn)Te, opening new opportunities for all-optical manipulation of magnetic order and spin-orbit torque generation in spin-orbitronic devices.