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Published on: February 20, 2016
Harnessing Plasmonic Heating for Switching in Antiferromagnets.
H Y Yuan1, Yizheng Wu2, Olena Gomonay3
1Zhejiang University, Institute for Advanced Study in Physics, 310027 Hangzhou, China.
Physical Review Letters
|June 7, 2026
Summary
Controllable nanoscale heating can benefit information processing by reversibly switching antiferromagnetic (AFM) domains using plasmonic heating. This method requires ultralow energy, significantly less than current-driven switching.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Heat waste hinders green information technologies.
- Current methods focus on suppressing heating in electronic and spintronic devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate controllable nanoscale heating for information processing.
- To investigate a hybrid nanostructure for magnetic domain switching.
Main Methods:
- Studied a hybrid nanostructure: metallic square frame and antiferromagnetic (AFM) thin film.
- Utilized plasmonic heating to induce thermal strain.
- Manipulated AFM domains via magnetoelastic effect by controlling strain fields with light polarization.
Main Results:
- Achieved reversible switching of perpendicularly oriented AFM domains using plasmonic heating.
- Demonstrated ultralow switching energy (order of 1 nJ), 3-6 orders of magnitude lower than current-driven methods.
- Showcased optical control over magnetism through polarization-controlled plasmon modes.
Conclusions:
- Controllable nanoscale heating offers a novel approach to information processing.
- Optically manipulating magnetism with ultralow energy consumption is feasible.
- Findings promote interdisciplinary research in photonics, acoustics, and spintronics.
