Spintronic GdFe/Pt THz Emitter Systems

The recent discovery of spintronic THz emitters based on nanometer-thin bilayers of a ferromagnetic (FM) and a nonmagnetic metal (NM) layer has attracted a lot of attention due to their high power, gapless and broadband emission, and easy fabrication [1], [2]. The emission properties can be tuned easily e.g. by varying the FM or NM materials, the magnetic properties or the electrical conductivity. However, the microscopic mechanism governing the THz emission is presently not fully understood, which limits their design and optimization.