Researchers at MIT have made a breakthrough in controlling the magnetic states of materials using terahertz lasers. This discovery could lead to advancements in memory chip technology.
Over repeated experiments, the team observed that a terahertz pulse successfully switched the previously antiferromagnetic material to a new magnetic state — a transition that persisted for a surprisingly long time, over several milliseconds, even after the laser was turned off. MIT scientists have found a new way to control magnetic states in materials, potentially paving the way for advancements in memory chip technology.
The team used a terahertz laser—a light source oscillating more than a trillion times per second—to induce a durable magnetic phase in an antiferromagnetic material. The researchers successfully shifted the atomic spins by tuning the laser to the material’s atomic vibrations, achieving a previously unattainable magnetic state. Antiferromagnetic materials, known for their alternating atomic spins that cancel each other out, are resilient against external magnetic interference, unlike traditional ferromagnets. This makes them ideal candidates for robust data storage technologies. However, their resistance to magnetic manipulation has been a longstanding hurdle. MIT’s breakthrough demonstrates a viable approach to overcoming this challenge, marking a critical step toward integrating antiferromagnets into compact, energy-efficient memory chips.The research team, led by Nuh Gedik, Donner Professor of Physics at MIT, explored how light could influence the magnetic properties of FePS3, a material that becomes antiferromagnetic at temperatures below 118 Kelvin (-247°F). To manipulate its state, they used a terahertz laser tuned to match the frequency of the material’s atomic vibrations, or phonons. In solids, atoms are connected by spring-like bonds that vibrate at characteristic frequencies. These vibrations influence how atomic spins interac
Magnetism Memory Chips Terahertz Laser Antiferromagnetism Material Science
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