MIT's light-activated antiferromagnetic memory could replace today's ferromagnets
MIT uses lasers to create new magnetic states in FePS₃, transforming memory technology.

MIT scientists have pioneered a method to alter the magnetic state of FePS₃, an antiferromagnetic material, using light. Under the leadership of Professor Nuh Gedik, their approach involves cooling the material and exposing it to carefully tuned terahertz laser pulses to introduce a new magnetic state.
Antiferromagnets typically exhibit complex spin patterns with zero net magnetization, a quality favorable for secure data storage but challenging for computational switching. The lasers successfully disrupted this pattern, achieving a magnetized state lasting milliseconds, an impressive duration in quantum terms.
This development holds the promise of creating next-generation memory chips that are both durable and have higher storage density. Although numerous engineering hurdles are yet to be tackled, the research, published in Nature, is a pivotal advance toward leveraging antiferromagnets in future technology.