MIT Has Just Made Magnetism Dance With Light

SpaceDaily reports that Scientists at MIT have found a fascinating way to create a new type of magnetic state in a material by using light. They worked with a special kind of laser, called a terahertz laser, which vibrates over a trillion times per second.

This laser can precisely jiggle the atoms in a material known as FePS3, pushing them into a fresh magnetic state. The study, published in Nature, reveals how this method could revolutionize how we control materials called antiferromagnetic.

Unlike regular magnets, where atoms’ spins all point in the same direction, antiferromagnets have atoms with alternating spins that cancel each other out. This makes them very stable, which is great for future technologies like data storage, but also tricky to manipulate.

By tuning the laser to match the natural vibrations of the material’s atoms, the researchers shifted the balance of spins, creating a new magnetic orientation. This new state holds promise for more reliable and energy-efficient memory chips.

Nuh Gedik, the senior author from MIT, highlighted the challenge: ‘Antiferromagnetic materials are tough to control because they don’t respond to weak magnetic fields.’ But by using the terahertz laser, they found a way to overcome this problem.

The experiment involved cooling down the FePS3 sample and then hitting it with a terahertz pulse. This pulse stirred the atoms’ vibrations, leading to a noticeable change in the material’s magnetic properties.

Surprisingly, the new magnetic state lasted much longer than expected—several milliseconds—and gave researchers enough time to study it.

This discovery could pave the way for next-gen memory technology that’s more efficient and resistant to interference. Gedik’s team, which includes Batyr Ilyas, Tianchuang Luo, Alexander von Hoegen, Zhuquan Zhang, and Keith Nelson, worked alongside international collaborators to achieve this breakthrough.

By carefully shaking the atoms with light, MIT physicists have opened the door to controlling the elusive antiferromagnets, bringing us closer to advanced data storage solutions.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!