Dynamics of Laser-Induced Magnetostructural Phase Transitions in MnAs/GaAs (001) Epitaxial Layers

We have investigated by time-resolved X-ray diffraction the manganese arsenide structure dynamics in MnAs/GaAs (001) epitaxial films, when the α → β magnetostructural phase transition is triggered by an ultra-fast optical laser pulse. Understanding the photo-induced phase transition dynamics is relevant for applications of MnAs/GaAs (001) as a magnetically active template in laser-induced magnetization switching processes. The main goal of our experiment is to determine the timescales of the structural changes that are likely to play a role in laser-driven magnetization reversal.