A research team led by the European XFEL research center in Germany has developed a new method to manipulate the properties of ferroelectric materials using light pulses. The research results were published in the journal Nature Communications. The experiments were conducted at the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser facility near Hamburg, providing a new approach for developing high-speed, low-energy electronic devices.

The research team used ultra-short, high-energy laser pulses to excite electrons in barium titanate crystals, successfully achieving a change in polarization state within 350 femtoseconds. For the first time, the experiment observed the decoupling of polarization from lattice distortion. European XFEL scientist Le Phuong Hoang stated: "The measurement data show that polarization is primarily controlled by photo-excited electrons rather than structural distortion, opening new possibilities for the design of electronic components."

The study employed the SCS instrument to synchronously track changes in material polarization, lattice structure, and electronic states, with a time resolution of 90 femtoseconds. The experiments confirmed that the light-control method is faster than traditional electric field regulation and does not require complex circuit structures. Co-author Giuseppe Mercurio noted: "In the future, light pulses may replace electric fields to achieve specific polarization states. Similar methods could be extended to the magnetic control of multiferroic materials."

This technological breakthrough marks an important advancement in light-controlled electronics and is expected to find applications in sensing technology, data storage, and energy-efficient information processing. The researchers stated that the method not only improves control speed but also provides a new pathway for regulating material properties that goes beyond traditional sample design.