Ultrafast entropy production in nonequilibrium magnets

Journal article, 2025

We present an ultrafast thermodynamics framework to model heat generation and entropy production in laser-driven ferromagnetic systems. By establishing a connection between the magnetic field strength of the laser pulse and magnetization dynamics, we model time-dependent entropy production rates and deduce the associated heat dissipation in epitaxial and polycrystalline FeNi and CoFeB thin films. Our theoretical predictions are validated by comparison to experimental magnetization dynamics data, shedding light on thermodynamic processes on picosecond timescales. Crucially, we incorporate recently observed inertial spin dynamics, to describe their impact on heat generation in pump-probe experiments. As such, this formalism provides novel insights into controlling heat production in magnetic systems and contributes to advancing the understanding of nonequilibrium thermodynamics in magnetic systems, with implications for future experimental protocols in spintronics and nanotechnology.