Exploring the accessible frequency range of phase-resolved ferromagnetic resonance detected with x-rays

We present time-and element-resolved measurements of the magnetization dynamics in a ferromagnetic trilayer structure. A pump-probe scheme was utilized with a microwave magnetic excitation field phase-locked to the photon bunches and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism in transmission geometry. Using a relatively large photon bunch length with a full width at half maximum of 650 ps, the precessional motion of the magnetization was resolved up to frequencies of 2.5 GHz, thereby enabling sampling at frequencies significantly above the inverse bunch length. By simulating the experimental data with a numerical model based on a forced harmonic oscillator, we obtain good correlation between the two. The model, which includes timing jitter analysis, is used to predict the accessible frequency range of x-ray detected ferromagnetic resonance. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4772613]