Empowering Control of Antiferromagnets by THz-induced Spin Coherence

Abstract: Finding efficient and ultrafast ways to control antiferromagnets is believed to be instrumental in unlocking their potential for magnetic devices operating at THz frequencies. Still, it is challenged by the absence of net magnetization in the ground state. Here, we show that the magnetization emerging from a state of coherent spin precession in antiferromagnetic iron borate FeBO$_3$ can be used to enable the nonlinear coupling of light to another, otherwise weakly susceptible, mode of spin precession. This nonlinear mechanism can facilitate conceptually new ways of controlling antiferromagnetism.