The inverse Faraday effect is a magneto-optical process allowing the magnetization of matter by an optical excitation carrying a non-zero spin of light. This phenomenon was considered until now as symmetric; right or left circular polarizations generate magnetic fields oriented in the direction of light propagation or in the counter-propagating direction. Here, we demonstrate that by manipulating the spin density of light in a plasmonic nanostructure, we generate a chiral inverse Faraday effect, creating a strong magnetic field of 500 mT only for one helicity of the light, the opposite helicity producing this effect only for the mirror structure. This new optical concept opens the way to the generation of magnetic fields with unpolarized light, finding application in the ultrafast manipulation of magnetic domains and processes, such as spin precession, spin currents and waves, magnetic skyrmion or magnetic circular dichroism, with direct applications in data storage and data processing technologies.

中文翻译：

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由反向设计的等离子体天线介导的手性反法拉第效应

反法拉第效应是一种磁光过程，允许通过携带非零自旋光的光激发来磁化物质。到目前为止，这种现象被认为是对称的；右圆极化或左圆极化产生的磁场与光传播方向或反向传播方向一致。在这里，我们展示了通过操纵等离子体纳米结构中光的自旋密度，我们产生了手性反法拉第效应，仅对光的一个螺旋度产生 500 mT 的强磁场，相反的螺旋度仅对镜像结构。这种新的光学概念为用非偏振光产生磁场开辟了道路，在磁畴和过程的超快操纵中找到了应用，