MIT physicists have discovered a way to create a new, long-lasting magnetic state in a material using only light.
In a study published in Nature, the researchers used a terahertz laser — a type of light that oscillates more than a trillion times per second — to directly influence atoms in an antiferromagnetic material. By precisely tuning the laser’s oscillations to match the natural vibrations of the material’s atoms, they were able to shift the alignment of atomic spins, resulting in a new magnetic state.
This breakthrough offers a novel method for controlling and switching antiferromagnetic materials, which could play a crucial role in advancing information processing and memory chip technology.
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