Modified Gilbert damping due to exchange bias in NiFe/FeMn mayers

A picosecond all-optical pump-probe technique is used to investigate magnetization dynamics and magnetic damping behavior in the Ni81Fe19/Fe50Mn50 exchange bias system. Within the laser excitation the spin temperature is elevated resulting in a collapse of the exchange bias field. Thus, a fast anisotropy field pulse is launched which triggers the magnetization precession. The extracted Gilbert damping increases linearly with the exchange bias field magnitude which can be understood by taking the local fluctuations of the interfacial exchange coupling as an additional dissipation mechanism into account. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.