Coherent terahertz control of metastable magnetization in FePS3

Abstract

The crystal lattice governs the emergent electronic, magnetic, and optical properties of quantum materials, making structural tuning through strain, pressure, or chemical substitution a key approach for discovering and controlling novel quantum phases. Beyond static modifications, driving specific lattice modes with ultrafast stimuli offers a dynamic route for tailoring material properties out of equilibrium. However, achieving dynamic coherent control of the nonequilibrium phases via resonant excitation of lattice coherences remains largely unexplored. Such manipulation enables non-volatile, on demand amplification and suppression of order parameters on femtosecond timescales, necessary for next generation optoelectronic ultrafast computation. In this study, we demonstrate coherent phononic control of a newly discovered, light-induced metastable magnetization in the van der Waals antiferromagnet FePS3. By using a sequence of terahertz (THz) pulses, we modulate the magnetization amplitude at the frequencies of phonon coherences, whose infrared-active nature and symmetries are further revealed by polarization- and field-strength-dependent measurements. Furthermore, our two-dimensional THz spectroscopy, in tandem with first-principles numerical simulations, shows that these phonons nonlinearly displace a Raman active phonon, which induces the metastable net magnetization. These findings not only clarify the microscopic mechanism underlying the metastable state in FePS3 but also establish vibrational coherences in solids as a powerful tool for ultrafast quantum phase control, enabling manipulation of material functionalities far from equilibrium.