Thermomagnetic marking of rare-earth–transition-metal thin films

Analytical derivation of temperature profiles in laser-irradiated thin-film structures is hindered by the nature of the heat source terms and by the geometrical complexity that often exists. This study utilizes a combined Laplace-transform–Fourier-integral method to obtain approximate solutions for a number of simple cases. The results are used to study the thermomagnetic marking process in rare-earth–transition-metal (RE-TM) thin films, and the predictions are compared with experimental observations.