Magnetic materials form the foundation of modern data storage, from hard drives to emerging spintronic devices. To push information technologies beyond their current speed and energy limits, new methods are needed to control magnetism faster and more efficiently. In his PhD research, Timur Gareev explored how light and electric fields can manipulate magnetization in complex oxides on ultrafast timescales - from femtoseconds to picoseconds. Using advanced pump-probe imaging and electrical gating techniques, he demonstrated that laser pulses can trigger strongly inhomogeneous spin dynamics in magnetoelectric iron garnets, and that these dynamics can be effectively tuned by electric fields at room temperature. He also investigated electric-field control of antiferromagnetic domain walls in Cr₂O₃ and coherent lattice-spin coupling in rare-earth perovskites. The results open new possibilities for energy-efficient and ultrafast magnetic switching, bridging optical and electrical control of magnetism. This research advances the development of next-generation spintronic and data-storage technologies.
Timur Gareev obtained his BSc and MSc (cum laude) degrees in Physics from Lomonosov MSU. As an Erasmus+ fellow, he studied at Radboud University in 2020 under the supervision of Prof. Alexey Kimel and Prof. Theo Rasing. In 2021, he joined their group – the Ultrafast Spectroscopy of Correlated Materials – as a PhD candidate. His research focused on ultrafast spin dynamics, magnetoelectric effects, and optical control of magnetization in complex oxide materials. During his PhD, he conducted collaborative projects within the EU-funded COMRAD network and published several peer-reviewed papers, including articles in Physical Review Letters. He is currently working as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Radboud University, where he collaborates with industry partners such as ASMPT Ltd. and NXP Semiconductors to apply advanced optical techniques in semiconductor research.