Ultrafast dynamics of four-state magnetization reversal in (Ga,Mn)As

The ultrafast dynamics of in-plane four-state magnetization reversal from compressively strained (Ga,Mn)As film was investigated by magneto-optical Kerr rotation measurement. The magnetization reversal signal was dramatically suppressed upon pumping, and recovered slowly with time evolution. The low switching field Hc1 increased abruptly from 30 to 108 G on the first several picoseconds and recovered back to the value before optical pumping within about 500 ps, whereas the high switching field Hc2 did not change obviously upon pumping, implying a domain-wall nucleation/propagation at low fields and coherent magnetization rotation at high fields in the magnetization reversal process.