Orbital magnetism through inverse Faraday effect in metal clusters
Deru Lian1, Yanji Yang1, Giovanni Manfredi2
1Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Institut Lumière Matière, UMR5306, F-69100, Villeurbanne, France.
Nanophotonics (Berlin, Germany)
|December 16, 2024
Summary
Metal clusters can generate ultrafast magnetization using light. This study shows how light
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Quantum Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Growing interest in light-induced magnetism at nanoscale.
- Metal clusters as potential building blocks for opto-magnetic devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate opto-magnetic properties of metal clusters.
- Explore all-optical ultrafast magnetization generation.
Main Methods:
- Ab-initio real-time (RT) simulations.
- Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT).
- Plasmon excitation with circularly polarized laser pulses.
Main Results:
- Observed generation of orbital magnetic moments via inverse Faraday effect (IFE).
- Demonstrated nanometric current loops and electron density motion.
- Highlighted dependence of IFE-mediated magnetism on cluster geometry and composition.
Conclusions:
- Metal clusters are promising for all-optical ultrafast magnetization.
- Quantum many-body effects play a crucial role in IFE-mediated magnetism.
- Potential applications in all-optical magnetism manipulation.
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