New Way to Read Tiny Magnets with Light

Scientists have found a new way to read tiny magnets using light. These magnets are so small that they are made of just one molecule. The cool part is that this method works with light that is not visible to our eyes, but it is the same light used in fiber optic cables for the internet. The magnets used in this study are special. They are called chiral, which means they are not the same when you flip them like your left and right hands. This property is important because it allows the light to interact with the magnet in a unique way. The researchers made these tiny magnets stable in air, which is a big deal because most tiny magnets are not. They also found that these magnets can be read using light that is not polarized. This means that the light does not need to be in a specific direction to work. This makes the method much simpler and more practical.The magnets used in this study are made of a rare earth element called dysprosium. The light used to read the magnets is in the near-infrared range, which is the same range used in telecom fibers. This means that this method could be used in the future to make faster and more efficient data storage devices. The researchers also found that this method works even when the magnets are not in a perfect state. This is important because it means that the method is robust and can be used in real-world applications. In summary, this study shows that it is possible to read tiny magnets using light in a simple and efficient way. This could lead to new technologies for data storage and communication.