The inverse Faraday effect (IFE) in terbium gallium garnet (TGG) is observed at room temperature. A circularly polarized 532 nm optical pulse from a frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser traverses a TGG crystal, resulting in an induced voltage in a surrounding detection coil. Variation of laser intensity and polarization direction leads to changes in the induced voltage in accordance with Faraday’s law of induction. The IFE is attributed to the optical Stark effect. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.