Simulation of Hot-Carrier Dynamics and Terahertz Emission in Laser-Excited Metallic Bilayers

We present a multiscale model that simulates optically induced spin currents in metallic bilayer structures that emit terahertz radiation after optical pulse excitation. We describe hot-electron transport in a metallic bilayer by a Boltzmann transport equation, which is solved numerically by a particle-in-cell approach. Optical excitation and propagation effects are taken into account by our determining the emitted terahertz waves from the excited-carrier dynamics. We apply this approach to an Fe/Pt bilayer and show in detail how microscopic scattering effects and transport determine the emitted signal. The versatility of the approach presented here allows it to be readily adapted to a wide spectrum of spintronic-terahertz-emitter designs. As an example, we show how the terahertz generation efficiency, defined as the output-power-to-input-power ratio, can be increased and optimized with use of serially stacked layers in conjunction with terahertz antireflective coatings. We derive an analytical expression for the terahertz emission of a single layer that allows us to determine the relationship between the emitted field and the current profile that generates it.