Ultrafast all-optical toggle writing of magnetic bits without relying on heat

This paper demonstrates a novel "cold" all-optical toggle switching mechanism for magnetization in cobalt-substituted iron garnets (YIG:Co), achieved without relying on heat. Ultrafast laser excitation modifies magnetic anisotropy, toggling magnetization between two stable bit states across a broad temperature range. This contrasts with previous methods relying on ultrafast heating. While this method exhibits reduced dissipation compared to heat-induced switching, switching time and dissipation are shown to be competing parameters.

T. Zalewski, A. Maziewski, A. V. Kimel, A. Stupakiewicz