Core Findings - A research team from Hebrew University of Jerusalem published a paper revealing that the magnetic field of light plays a direct role in the Faraday effect, challenging the long-held belief that only the electric field of light is significant [1][2] - The study confirms that the oscillating magnetic field of light directly contributes to the formation of the Faraday effect, indicating that light can influence matter through its magnetic properties [1] Summary by Sections Faraday Effect - The Faraday effect describes the rotation of the polarization direction of light as it passes through a material in a constant magnetic field, first discovered by Michael Faraday in 1845 [1] - Traditionally, this effect has been attributed solely to the interaction between the electric field of light and the internal charges of the material [1] New Findings - The new research highlights the previously overlooked contribution of the magnetic field of light, which has a measurable impact on the Faraday effect [1][2] - The research utilized the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation to conduct precise calculations, demonstrating that the magnetic field of light can induce magnetic moments within materials, similar to a static magnetic field [1] Experimental Predictions - Calculations indicate that using magnetic materials like gadolinium gallium garnet in repeated Faraday experiments could show that the magnetic contribution of light to the Faraday effect could reach 17% for visible light and up to 70% for infrared light [2] - This suggests that the interaction between light and matter involves both electric and magnetic fields, which have not been fully recognized until now [2] - Igor Rozhansky from the University of Manchester commented that the results are compelling and warrant further experimental verification [2]