  We report on {\it ab-initio} simulations of the quantum dynamics of
electronic charge and spin when subjected to intense laser pulses. By
performing separate calculations for a Ni thin film and bulk Ni, we conclude
that surface effects have a dramatic influence on amplifying the laser induced
demagnetization. We show that the reason for this amplification is due to
increased spin-currents on the surface of the thin film. This enhancement is a
direct consequence of the broken symmetry originating from the surface
formation. We find that the underlying physics of demagnetization, during the
early femtoseconds, for both bulk and thin film is dominated by spin-flips
induced by spin-orbit coupling. After the first $\sim 40$ fs this changes in
that the dominant cause of demagnetization is the flow of spin-currents, which
leads to stronger demagnetization in the film compared to that of the bulk.
