Giant Optical Polarization Rotation Induced by Spin-Orbit Coupling in Polarons

Abstract

We have uncovered a giant gyrotropic magneto-optical response for doped ferromagnetic manganite La_{2/3}Ca_{1/3}MnO_{3} around the near room-temperature paramagnetic-to-ferromagnetic transition. At odds with current wisdom, where this response is usually assumed to be fundamentally fixed by the electronic band structure, we point to the presence of small polarons as the driving force for this unexpected phenomenon. We explain the observed properties by the intricate interplay of mobility, Jahn-Teller effect, and spin-orbit coupling of small polarons. As magnetic polarons are ubiquitously inherent to many strongly correlated systems, our results provide an original, general pathway towards the generation of magnetic-responsive gigantic gyrotropic responses that may open novel avenues for magnetoelectric coupling beyond the conventional modulation of magnetization.

Photoinduced Hund excitons in the breakdown of a two-orbital Mott insulator

“…Control over the electronic properties of quantum matter using radiation is an attainable route to efficiently and systematically understand nonequilibrium phenomena. The interaction of correlated matter with light fields has already uncovered a wealth of exotic "hidden" phases 1,2 including light-induced superconductivity 3 , dielectric breakdown [4][5][6][7] , photometallic states in organic insulators 8 , and photodisruption of charge, magnetic, and orbital order in complex oxides [9][10][11][12] .…”

Dielectric relaxation in epitaxial films of paraelectric-magnetic SrTiO3-SrMnO3 solid solution

“…The presence of magnetic polarons is manifested in magneto-optical behavior as well. 41,42 Such polarons are related to electrons trapped in narrow d-orbitals of Mn, indicating that many manganites may exhibit magneto-polaronic effects. We therefore argue that magneto-polarons may mimic spin-phonon coupling in multiferroic manganites.…”

Magnetic properties of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 under the pressure and the transport property under the magnetic field

“…The spin-orbit coupling plays a significant role in the electronic band structure, magnetic properties, and the electrical transport behavior in lots of strongly correlated systems containing 4d and 5d transitional elements, because of its approximate energy to the Coulomb repulsive energy and crystal field interaction energy [1][2][3][4][5][6] ; technologically, the spin current can be controlled by the electric field or the pressure through the spin-orbit coupling effect, 7 which is promising in data storage 8,9 and planar quantum Hall effect devices. 10 The perovskite manganite containing 3d element exhibits rich physics due to the interaction of chargespin-orbit-lattice dfs, 11,12 such as the Mn 3+ -O-Mn 4+ double-exchange ferromagnetism, [13][14][15][16][17] the Mn 3+ -O-Mn 3+18-23 or Mn 4+ -O-Mn 4+24-28 super-exchange antiferromagnetism, the Jahn-teller (J-T) distortion caused by the interaction between the e g electrons in Mn 3+ ions and the lattice [29][30][31] . Due to the approximate charge-spin-orbit-lattice interaction energy, just a perturbation, such as a slight change in composition (doping), 32,33 stress or chemical pressure (equivalent electron doping), [34][35][36][37][38][39][40] external stimulation (magnetic field/ electric field/ pressure), [41][42][43][44] can cause the significant changes in properties.…”