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.

Introductory chapters help newcomers to understand the basic concepts, and the more advanced chapters give the current state of the art for most spin dynamic issues in the milliseconds to femtoseconds range. Emphasis is placed on both the discussion of the experimental techniques and on the theoretical work. The comprehensive presentation of these developments makes this volume very timely and valuable for every researcher working in the field of magnetism.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in the field of spin dynamics and magnetic damping. It discusses the various ways to tune damping, specifically, dynamic and static control in a ferromagnetic layer/heavy metal layer. In addition, it addresses all optical detection techniques for the investigation of modulation of damping, for example, the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect technique.

In a new branch of physics and technology, called spin-electronics or spintronics, the flow of electrical charge (usual current) as well as the flow of electron spin, the so-called "spin current", are manipulated and controlled together. This book is intended to provide an introduction and guide to the new physics and applications of spin current.

Several large experimental facilities that focus on detection and probing magnetization dynamics have been realized in Europe, USA and Japan. This book covers theoretical and practical aspects of the vibrant and emerging research field of magnetization dynamics.

This text book gives a comprehensive account of magnetism, one of the oldest yet most vibrant fields of physics. It spans the historical development, the physical foundations and the continuing research underlying the subject. The book covers both the classical and quantum mechanical aspects of magnetism and novel experimental techniques. Perhaps uniquely, it discusses spin transport and magnetization dynamics phenomena associated with atomically and spin engineered nano-structures against the backdrop of spintronics and magnetic storage and memory applications. The book is for students, and serves as a reference for scientists in academia and research laboratories.