Ultrafast Magnetism: The Physics Behind Faster, Greener Computing

What happens when magnets move faster than we thought possible?

?In our everyday devices, magnets store information by flipping their polarity - north becomes south, south becomes north. But compared to modern silicon electronics, this process is surprisingly slow.

?Enter ultrafast magnetism. When magnets are struck with incredibly short laser pulses - lasting just a millionth of a billionth of a second - they can switch polarity at speeds that outpace silicon-based technology. This startling discovery launched a new field of research and raised fundamental questions about how magnets behave far from equilibrium.

?Join Akshay Pattabi, Assistant Professor of Engineering at the University of San Francisco, for a deep dive into the strange and still-unfolding physics behind ultrafast magnetism.

?Thirty years after its discovery, the phenomenon remains an active scientific puzzle - one that could reshape how we think about data storage, energy efficiency, and the future of computing.