MIT Physicists Use Light to Create New Magnetic State in Material

Researchers achieve long-lasting magnetic phase transition in antiferromagnetic material using terahertz laser pulses.

MIT scientists have successfully induced a new magnetic state in an antiferromagnetic material using precisely tuned terahertz light.
The technique involves stimulating the material's atomic vibrations, or phonons, to shift atomic spins and create a magnetic state with finite magnetization.
This breakthrough provides a potential method to control antiferromagnetic materials, which are robust against external magnetic interference and could revolutionize memory chip technology.
The induced magnetic state persists for several milliseconds, significantly longer than previously observed light-induced phase transitions, opening a window for further study and optimization.
The research could lead to the development of more efficient, compact memory chips capable of storing and processing larger amounts of data with lower energy consumption.