Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have established that the magnetic field component of light actively influences the Faraday Effect. The team, led by Dr. Amir Capua and Benjamin Assouline of the Institute of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, provided theoretical proof that the oscillating magnetic field of light contributes directly to the Faraday Effect, challenging a London, UK (SPX) Nov 20, 2025
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have established that the magnetic field component of light actively influences the Faraday Effect. The team, led by Dr. Amir Capua and Benjamin Assouline of the Institute of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, provided theoretical proof that the oscillating magnetic field of light contributes directly to the Faraday Effect, challenging a long-standing assumption that only the electric field has influence.
Dr. Capua explained, "It's an interaction between light and magnetism. The static magnetic field twists the light, and the light, in turn, reveals the magnetic properties of the material. What we've found is that the magnetic part of light has a first-order effect, it's surprisingly active in this process."
The researchers used the Landau - Lifshitz - Gilbert equation to demonstrate that the magnetic field of light can induce magnetic torque inside a material similar to a static magnetic field. Their calculations indicate that in Terbium Gallium Garnet, the magnetic field of light is responsible for about 17 percent of polarization rotation observed in the visible spectrum and up to 70 percent at infrared wavelengths.
Benjamin Assouline noted, "Our results show that light talks to matter not only through its electric field, but also through its magnetic field, a component that has been largely overlooked until now."
This research suggests new possibilities for optics, magnetism, spintronics, optical data storage, and light-based magnetic control. Additionally, it may advance future technologies involving spin-based quantum computing.
Research Report:Faraday Effects Emerging from the Optical Magnetic Field
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