  Terahertz (THz) light pulses can be used for an ultrafast coherent
manipulation of the magnetization. Driving the magnetization at THz frequencies
is currently the fastest way of writing magnetic information in ferromagnets.
Using time-resolved resonant magnetic scattering, we gain new insights to the
THz-driven coherent magnetization dynamics on nanometer length scales. We
observe ultrafast demagnetization and coherent magnetization oscillations that
are governed by a time-dependent damping. This damping is determined by the
interplay of lattice heating and magnetic anisotropy reduction revealing an
upper speed limit for THz-induced magnetization switching. We show that in the
presence of nanometer-sized magnetic domains, the ultrafast magnetization
oscillations are associated with a correlated beating of the domain walls. The
overall domain structure thereby remains largely unaffected which highlights
the applicability of THz-induced switching on the nanoscale.

Materials Science;Optics