Ultrafast electronic control of magnetic anisotropy by mid-infrared light

One of the most important tasks in modern information technologies is controlling spin directions in magnets. State-of-the-art hard disk drives and large-volume magnetic storage used in data centers require magnetization in solids to switch their directions in nanoseconds, corresponding to GHz frequency, or even faster speeds. An ever-increasing demand for writing speed has pushed researchers towards extensive research in optical techniques using femtosecond laser pulses.