Light-driven modulation of proximity-enhanced functionalities in hybrid nano-scale systems.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40774969.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-62571-7 and PMC identifier 12332133.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Advancing quantum information and communication technology requires smaller and faster components with actively controllable functionalities. This work presents an all-optical strategy for dynamically modulating magnetic properties via proximity effects controlled by light. We demonstrate this concept using hybrid nanoscale systems composed of C₆₀ molecules proximitized to a cobalt metallic ferromagnetic surface, where proximity interactions are particularly strong. Our findings show that by inducing excitons in the C<sub>60</sub> molecules with resonant ultrashort light pulses, we can significantly modify the interaction at the Cobalt/C<sub>60</sub> interface, leading to a remarkable 60% transient shift in the frequency of the Co dipolar ferromagnetic resonance mode. This effect, detected via a specifically designed time-resolved Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect (tr-MOKE) experiment, persists on a timescale of hundreds of picoseconds. Since this frequency shift directly correlates with a transient change in the anisotropy field-an essential parameter for technological applications-our findings establish a new material platform for ultrafast optical control of magnetism at the nanoscale.