Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 31, 2025
09:06
Visualizing Uniaxial-strain Manipulation of Antiferromagnetic Domains in Fe1+YTe Using a Spin-polarized Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Published on: March 24, 2019
8.2K
Photo-induced high-temperature ferromagnetism in YTiO3.
A S Disa1,2, J Curtis3,4, M Fechner5
1Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Hamburg, Germany. asd47@cornell.edu.
Nature
|May 3, 2023
Summary
Researchers used light to boost ferromagnetism in YTiO3, achieving transient magnetic order up to 80K, far beyond its usual 27K limit. This optical control offers new ways to engineer quantum material properties.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Engineering
Background:
- Degeneracies and frustrated interactions in quantum materials often suppress desired electronic or magnetic phases.
- Traditional methods to engineer these phases involve atomic structure modification, limited by thermodynamic constraints.
- Yttrium titanate (YTiO3) exhibits suppressed ferromagnetism with a low Curie temperature (Tc = 27K).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the all-optical, mode-selective manipulation of crystal lattice dynamics.
- To enhance and stabilize high-temperature ferromagnetism in YTiO3 beyond its equilibrium limitations.
- To explore light-induced non-equilibrium functionalities in quantum materials.
Main Methods:
- Utilized mode-selective optical excitation of the YTiO3 crystal lattice at 9 THz.
- Investigated the impact of exciting a specific oxygen rotation mode on magnetic properties.
- Analyzed light-induced dynamical changes to titanium (Ti) t2g orbitals and their effect on magnetic phase competition.
Main Results:
- Achieved complete magnetic saturation at low temperatures in YTiO3.
- Realized transient ferromagnetism up to non-equilibrium temperatures (Tneq) exceeding 80K, nearly triple the thermodynamic Tc.
- Observed light-induced ferromagnetism metastable over nanosecond timescales.
Conclusions:
- All-optical lattice manipulation can dynamically enhance and stabilize ferromagnetism in quantum materials.
- Light-induced changes to quasi-degenerate orbitals are key to overcoming equilibrium limitations.
- This approach enables the dynamic engineering of non-equilibrium functionalities for practical applications.
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