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Updated: Sep 18, 2025

Spectral and Angle-Resolved Magneto-Optical Characterization of Photonic Nanostructures
Published on: November 21, 2019
Twisting Light, Steering Spins: Gold Nanoparticle Magnetization via Inverse Faraday Effect and Orbital Angular
Xingyu Yang1, Chantal Hareau1, Mathieu Mivelle1
1Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut des NanoSciences de Paris, INSP, F-75005 Paris, France.
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We present a new approach to controlling magnetization in gold nanoparticles using the inverse Faraday effect combined with Laguerre-Gauss beams carrying orbital angular momentum. By tailoring the tilt of isophase planes, we induce drift photocurrents that generate magnetic fields tilted by up to 25° relative to the beam axis. The magnetic orientation can be reversed by switching polarization chirality or the orbital angular momentum sign, and it can be rotated azimuthally by repositioning the particle, accessing any angle over 2π steradians. This unprecedented level of control extends all-optical magnetization to three-dimensional orientations, potentially at ultrafast time scales given the near-instantaneous nature of the inverse Faraday effect. Our results pave the way for advanced spin-based applications, from triggering spin waves in magnetic materials to designing next-generation magnetic memory and logic devices.
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