Optical evidence for transient photoinduced magnetization in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3

Pump-probe Kerr spectroscopy reveals evidence for transient photoinduced magnetization (PIM) near Tc in the colossally magnetoresistive manganite La0.7Ca0.3MnO3. For temperatures above Tc, the PIM signature reaches full strength at the field-driven magnetic phase transition, while below Tc it exhibits a magnetic activation threshold of ~0.5 T. We compare the temperature dependence of the effect with diffuse spin scattering previously measured with neutrons and discuss these findings in the context of phase separation near Tc.