Ultrafast Dynamics of Magneto-Electrics

Controlling magnetic order with minimal energy and on ultrafast timescales is a central challenge for next-generation spintronic and data-storage technologies. This work shows how femtosecond laser pulses and electric fields can steer spin and lattice dynamics in complex oxides far from equilibrium. The approach combines pump-probe spectroscopy, spatially resolved magneto-optical imaging, and electrical gating to capture magnetic and structural responses from femtoseconds to nanoseconds.

Ultrafast imaging reveals that femtosecond optical excitation drives highly nonuniform spin dynamics in iron garnets, while electrical gating enhances and shapes these responses with potentially sub-diffraction precision. In Cr₂O₃, electric fields manipulate antiferromagnetic domains with spatial accuracy limited by the electrode size, demonstrating a strong magnetoelectric effect. In DyFeO₃, resonant electronic excitation generates Raman-forbidden THz phonons, uncovering a direct orbital–lattice coupling pathway.

Together, these results establish a framework in which optical and electrical stimuli act in concert to control magnetic and lattice degrees of freedom with high speed and spatial precision, opening pathways toward ultrafast, energy-efficient spintronic and multiferroic devices.