Magnetic phase transitions for data storage devices

Some materials displays an antiferromagnetic  phase below certain temperature, and a ferromagnetic phase above. Such phase transitions can be exploited for energy efficient magnetic devices. Laser heating can drive FeRh through its antiferromagnetic-to-ferromagnetic phase transition within the first picosecond. By means of accurate modelling and experimental data, the TIMES network will enable a deep understanding on the microscopic mechanism at the origin of the magnetic phase transition, a crucial step for the practical realization of ultrafast storage devices.

Electronic phase transitions for optoelectronic devices

Owing to the coexistence of ferro-, piezo-, and pyro-electricity, and optical non-linearity, the perovskite crystals LiNbO₃ and LiTaO₃ have seen wide applications in optoelectronics. Recent experimental studies demonstrated the possibility of structural control via ultrashort infrared pulses, leading to transient reversal of ferroelectricity over timescales of a few picoseconds. While quantum nuclear effects and many-body interactions are of pivotal importance to unravel the origin of light-induced non-equilibrium structural dynamics, they are neglected in semi-classical models, and they represent a major challenge for purely ab-initio techniques. The TIMES network will develop novel theoretical and computational methods to explore the influence of electron-phonon interactions, anharmonic and non-adiabatic effects, as well as novel many-body phenomena on the non-equilibrium structural dynamics.