Optimizing sparse sampling for 2D electronic spectroscopy.

We present a new data acquisition concept using optimized non-uniform sampling and compressed sensing reconstruction in order to substantially decrease the acquisition times in action-based multidimensional electronic spectroscopy. For this we acquire a regularly sampled reference data set at a fixed population time and use a genetic algorithm to optimize a reduced non-uniform sampling pattern. We then apply the optimal sampling for data acquisition at all other population times. Furthermore, we show how to transform two-dimensional (2D) spectra into a joint 4D time-frequency von Neumann representation. This leads to increased sparsity compared to the Fourier domain and to improved reconstruction. We demonstrate this approach by recovering transient dynamics in the 2D spectrum of a cresyl violet sample using just 25% of the originally sampled data points.

Magnons and Phonons Optically Driven out of Local Equilibrium in a Magnetic Insulator.

The coupling and possible nonequilibrium between magnons and other energy carriers have been used to explain several recently discovered thermally driven spin transport and energy conversion phenomena. Here, we report experiments in which local nonequilibrium between magnons and phonons in a single crystalline bulk magnetic insulator, Y_{3}Fe_{5}O_{12}, has been created optically within a focused laser spot and probed directly via micro-Brillouin light scattering. Through analyzing the deviation in the magnon number density from the local equilibrium value, we obtain the diffusion length of thermal magnons. By explicitly establishing and observing local nonequilibrium between magnons and phonons, our studies represent an important step toward a quantitative understanding of various spin-heat coupling phenomena.