Coherent Phonon Control of Ultrafast Magnetization Dynamics in Fe$_\text{3}$GeTe$_\text{2}$ from Time-Dependent Ab Initio Theory

Abstract

Exploring ultrafast magnetization control in two-dimensional (2D) magnets through optically driven coherent phonons has been well-established. Yet, the microscopic interplay between spin dynamics and lattice degrees of freedom remains less explored. Employing real-time time-dependent density functional theory (rt-TDDFT) coupled with Ehrenfest dynamics, we systematically investigate laser-induced spin-nuclei dynamics with coherent phonon excitation in the 2D ferromagnet Fe3GeTe2. We found that selectively pre-exciting three typical coherent phonon modes results in up to a 53% additional spin moment loss in an out-of-plane A2 1g mode within ~50 fs. Coherent phonon control of spin dynamics is closely linked to laser pulse parameters. The underlying microscopic mechanism of this phenomenon is primarily governed by coherent phonon-induced asymmetric spin-resolved charge transfer following the disappearance of the laser pulse, thereby enabling effective control of the spin moment loss. Our findings offer a novel insight into the coupling of coherent phonons with spin systems in 2D limits on femtosecond timescales.