Kaede Yamada | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

XUV Transmission Spectroscopy Using a Tabletop High-Harmonic Source

High-harmonic generation (HHG) provides a coherent ultrashort-pulse light source in the extreme- ultraviolet (XUV) region and has potential applications in time-resolved spectroscopy and materials characterization. In this study, we constructed an HHG system using a Yb:KGW laser system (PHAROS, Light Conversion) as the driving source and Ar gas as the nonlinear medium. High-order harmonics were observed up to a photon energy of 70.6 eV, corresponding to the 59th harmonic order. As an application of the developed XUV source, we measured the transmission of a Mg thin film and a Si3N4 membrane. In addition, the surface chemical state of the Mg thin film was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the results were compared with the transmission measured using the HHG source. This comparison was used to examine the relationship between the surface condition, including surface oxidation, and the XUV transmission of the Mg thin film. These results demonstrate the applicability of the developed Ar-based HHG source to the characterization of thin-film transmission in the XUV spectral region.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Type-II-like ultrafast demagnetization behavior in NiCo2O4 thin films

Rare-earth-ferrimagnetic oxides are emerging as attractive platforms for investigating ultrafast spin dynamics. Here, we study the photoinduced magnetization dynamics of epitaxial NiCo2O4 (NCO) thin films by time-resolved magneto-optical Faraday effect using two independent pump-probe configurations: 1030/515 nm and 800/400 nm. In both measurements, photoexcitation induces an immediate reduction of the magneto-optical signal within the experimental time resolution, followed by a reproducible slower demagnetization component with a characteristic timescale of approximately 5-6 ps and a subsequent recovery on the ~100 ps timescale. Importantly, this picosecond demagnetization component is observed consistently across the two experimental configurations and excitation wavelengths, demonstrating that it is an intrinsic feature of the ultrafast magnetic response of NCO thin films. Because the earliest-time dip may contain a transient optical contribution, we describe the overall response as type-II-like, rather than assigning a definitive textbook type-II classification solely on the basis of the sub-resolution signal. These results establish a robust two-step ultrafast demagnetization behavior in NCO and highlight rare-earth-free oxide ferrimagnets as promising systems for exploring Mult sublattice spin dynamics on ultrafast timescales.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗