This book, the first of this kind, provides a comprehensive introduction to ultrafast phenomena, covering the fundamentals of ultrafast spin and charge dynamics, femtosecond magnetism, all-optical spin switching, and high-harmonic generation. It covers the experimental tools, including ultrafast pump-probe experiments, and theoretical methods including quantum chemistry and density functional theory, both time-independent and time-dependent. The authors explain in clear language how an ultrafast laser pulse is generated experimentally, how it can induce rapid responses in electrons and spins in molecules, nanostructures and solids (magnetic materials and superconductors), and how it can create high-harmonic generation from atoms and solids on the attosecond timescale. They also show how this field is driving the next generation of magnetic storage devices through femtomagnetism, all-optical spin switching in ferrimagnets and beyond, magnetic logic in magnetic molecules, and ultrafast intense light sources, incorporating numerous computer programs, examples, and problems throughout, to show how the beautiful research can be done behind the scene. Key features: · Provides a clear introduction to modern ultrafast phenomena and their applications in physics, chemistry, materials sciences, and engineering. · Presents in detail how high-harmonic generation occurs in atoms and solids. · Explains ultrafast demagnetization and spin switching, a new frontier for development of faster magnetic storage devices. · Includes numerous worked-out examples and problems in each chapter, with real research codes in density functional theory and quantum chemical calculations provided in the chapters and in the Appendices. This book is intended for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers in physics, chemistry, biology, materials sciences, and engineering.

This advanced level textbook is devoted to the description of systems which show ordered magnetic phases. A wide selection of topics is covered, including a detailed treatment of the mean-field approximation as the main paradigm for the phenomenological description of phase transitions. The book discusses the properties of low-dimensional systems and uses Green's functions extensively after a useful mathematical introduction. A thorough presentation of the RKKY and related models of indirect exchange is also featured, and a chapter on surface magnetism, rarely found in other textbooks, adds to the uniqueness of this book.For the second edition, three new chapters have been added, namely on magnetic anisotropy, on coherent magnon states and on local moments. Additionally, the chapter on itinerant magnetism has been enlarged by including a section on paramagnons.

This volume on Ultrafast Magnetism is a collection of articles presented at the international “Ultrafast Magnetization Conference” held at the Congress Center in Strasbourg, France, from October 28th to November 1st, 2013. This first conference, which is intended to be held every two years, received a wonderful attendance and gathered scientists from 27 countries in the field of Femtomagnetism, encompassing many theoretical and experimental research subjects related to the spins dynamics in bulk or nanostructured materials. The participants appreciated this unique opportunity for discussing new ideas and debating on various physical interpretations of the reported phenomena. The format of a single session with many oral contributions as well as extensive time for poster presentations allowed researchers to have a detailed overview of the field. Importantly, one could sense that, in addition to studying fundamental magnetic phenomena, ultrafast magnetism has entered in a phase where applied physics and engineering are playing an important role. Several devices are being proposed with exciting R&D perspectives in the near future, in particular for magnetic recording, time resolved magnetic imaging and spin polarized transport, therefore establishing connections between various aspects of modern magnetism. Simultaneously, the diversity of techniques and experimental configurations has flourished during the past years, employing in particular Xrays, visible, infra-red and terahertz radiations. It was also obvious that an important effort is being made for tracking the dynamics of spins and magnetic domains at the nanometer scale, opening the pathway to exciting future developments. The concerted efforts between theoretical and experimental approaches for explaining the dynamical behaviors of angular momentum and energy levels, on different classes of magnetic materials, are worth pointing out. Finally it was unanimously recognized that the quality of the scientific oral and poster presentations contributed to bring the conference to a very high international standard.