The future advancement in the development of magnetic memories (MRAM) and other spintronic devices involves developing methods to control the magnetic response on the picosecond (ps) scale. This timescale is significantly shorter than that of existing MRAMs currently in the market, and the most promising control method in this regard is through ultrashort laser pulses. Researchers from the LUMES unit are pioneers in this field, having developed theoretical models that allow studying the dynamics induced by laser pulses, including contributions from the Inverse Faraday Effect and Circular Magnetic Dichroism, as well as thermal effects [V. Raposo et al. Appl. Sci. 10, 1307 (2020)]. This enables the realistic study of these processes and the correct interpretation of experimental results in various ferromagnetic [V. Raposo et al. Appl. Sci. 10, 1307 (2020)], ferrimagnetic [Phys Rev. B 105, 104432 (2022)], and synthetic antiferromagnetic materials [Adv. Sci. 1901876 (2019)]. Additionally, the thermal expansion associated with laser-induced heating in the impact zone propagates in the material as a pulse of elastic stress, which can also affect the magnetic response through magnetoelastic coupling. This effect, often overlooked, can be significant and is currently under study, as it has been observed that mechanical stress gradients can lead to the rapid movement of magnetic textures such as domain walls [M. Fattouhi et al. Phys. Rev. Appl. 18, 044023 (2022)] and skyrmions [M. Fattouhi et al. Phys. Rev. Appl. 16, 044035 (2021)]

On the other hand, structured laser pulses offer a unique possibility in relation to this field of study: the generation of intense and ultrafast magnetic fields, isolated from the electric field [ACS Photonics, 6(1), 38–42 (2019)]. This work has opened a new paradigm in laser-material interaction: the ability to manipulate material properties using the magnetic field, isolated from the electric field. To exploit this potential, a collaboration has been established among various researchers in the unit, framed within the ERC project ATTOSTRUCTURA. In this collaboration, the possibility of coupling spins with the intense magnetic field obtained from an azimuthally polarized vector laser beam has been explored. The first results have already been obtained [High Power Laser Sci and Eng 11, e82 (2023), in press], where the potential to nonlinearly control magnetization using structured laser beams has been discovered. This is one of the most promising research lines within LUMES, in which collaboration among researchers from different disciplines (Optics, Magnetism, Materials Science, Solid-State Physics) is essential.