Normally, it’s possible for light to transform the properties of a material; however, these properties must exist to be manipulated. Physicists now believe they have found a way to use lasers to transform the properties of a material, creating new properties. Specifically, they have discovered a way to make non-magnetic materials magnetic.  Who: The team of “pioneers” includes physicists from the University of Copenhagen and Nanyang Technological University led by Associate Professor Mark Rudner, a researcher at the University of Copenhagen’s Niels Bohr Institute, and Justin Song of Nanyang Technological University. Why: The types of atoms that are present and how they’re arranged in a material determine things like if the material can conduct electricity or if it has magnetic properties. Currently, to change the magnetic properties of a material, the chemistry and atom make-up has had to change. Now, a physical route may have been discovered.  How: When stimulated by laser light, metal is transformed from within, suddenly acquiring new properties. Rudner says they’ve been looking into how to transform the properties of a material through irradiating it with certain types of light for several years. What's new, though, is that they found how to change the properties using light and how to trigger the material to change itself and its properties. “For instance, a non-magnetic metal can suddenly transform into a magnet," explains Rudner.  The Science Behind The Magnetic Transformation Through theoretical analysis, the researchers have succeeded in proving that when a non-magnetic metallic disk is irradiated with linearly polarized light, circulating electrical currents (hence, magnetism) can spontaneously merge in the disk. Researchers used so-called “plasmons” -- a type of electron wave found in the materials -- to change its intrinsic properties. When the material is irradiated with laser light, the plasmons in the disk rotate. This changes the quantum electronic structure, which will change the behavior. Both of these changes start a feedback loop in the plasmon’s internal electrical fields. Eventually, the plasmons break the intrinsic symmetry of the material and trigger an instability toward self-rotation. This is what causes the metal to become magnetic.  Applications of the Laser They’ve found that it may be possible to create new properties in different materials than just metal. Among the possibilities, Rudner suggests that the principle could be useful in situations where one needs a material to alternate between behaving magnetically and not. It could also prove useful in optoelectronics—where, for example, light and electronics are combined for fiber-internet and sensor development. For more information on break-through magnetic discoveries, browse through the magnet in the news section of our blog or contact us with questions, and we’ll help you find the best product for your needs.