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Abstract
The interplay of light and magnetism allowed light to be used as a probe of magnetic
materials. Now the focus has shifted to use polarized light to alter or manipulate
magnetism. Here, we demonstrate optical control of ferromagnetic materials ranging
from magnetic thin films to multilayers and even granular films being explored for
ultra-high-density magnetic recording. Our finding shows that optical control of magnetic
materials is a much more general phenomenon than previously assumed and may have a
major impact on data memory and storage industries through the integration of optical
control of ferromagnetic bits.