Optomagnetic field in nonmagnetic plasmonic nanostructures

International audienceUsing simplified hydrodynamic model, we theoretically investigate resonant inverse Faraday effect within individual plasmonic nanostructures. Upon illumination with circularly polarized light, resonant nanostructures are shown to develop an optomagnetic field that is controllable by the helicity of the light. Given their submicron footprint, individual plasmonic nanostructures open new prospects towards ultrafast and polarization-controlled tunable magnetism on the nanoscale, thus potentially impacting large panel of application and techniques including all optical magnetization switching, spin-wave excitation and optomagnetic tweezing of nano-objects