Ultrafast magnetic vortex core switching driven by the topological inverse Faraday effect

Area of Science:

• Condensed matter physics
• Spintronics
• Optics

Background:

• The conventional inverse Faraday effect (IFM) typically requires spin-orbit interaction to induce magnetization.
• Controlling magnetic structures, especially topological ones, is crucial for advanced memory and logic devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically discover and demonstrate an unconventional inverse Faraday effect mechanism.
• To show that this effect can selectively switch topological magnetic structures without external magnetic fields.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical formulation of the topological inverse Faraday effect.
• Numerical simulations of magnetic vortex switching dynamics.

Main Results:

• The topological inverse Faraday effect is induced by the spin Berry's phase of magnetic structures under circularly polarized light.
• This effect enables ultrafast magnetic vortex switching within 150 ps.
• Spin-orbit interaction is not required for this novel effect.

Conclusions:

• The topological inverse Faraday effect offers a new pathway for ultrafast magnetic switching.
• This discovery has potential applications in high-speed magnetic memory and spintronic devices.
• The mechanism's selectivity for topological structures opens avenues for targeted magnetic manipulation.