Writing and deleting magnets with lasers

(Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf) Scientists at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) together with colleagues from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, USA have found a way to write and delete magnets in an alloy using a laser beam -- a surprising effect. The reversibility of the process opens up new possibilities in the fields of material processing, optical technology, and data storage.