Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Merlin, R.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.19593
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866929331730644992
author Merlin, R.
author_facet Merlin, R.
contents The direct, ultrafast excitation of polar phonons with electromagnetic radiation is a potent strategy for controlling the properties of a wide range of materials, particularly in the context of influencing their magnetic behavior. Here, we show that, contrary to common perception, the origin of phonon-induced magnetic activity does not stem from the motion of ions themselves; instead, it arises from the effect their motion exerts on the electron subsystem. Through the mechanism of electron-phonon coupling, a coherent state of circularly polarized phonons generates substantial non-Maxwellian fields that disrupt time reversal symmetry, effectively emulating the behavior of authentic magnetic fields. Notably, the effective field can reach magnitudes as high as 100 T, surpassing by several orders of magnitude the Maxwellian field resulting from the circular motion of the ions. Because the light-induced non-reciprocal fields depend on the square of the phonon displacements, the chirality the photons transferred to the ions plays no role in magnetophononics.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2404_19593
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Magnetophononics and the Chiral Phonon Misnomer
Merlin, R.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
The direct, ultrafast excitation of polar phonons with electromagnetic radiation is a potent strategy for controlling the properties of a wide range of materials, particularly in the context of influencing their magnetic behavior. Here, we show that, contrary to common perception, the origin of phonon-induced magnetic activity does not stem from the motion of ions themselves; instead, it arises from the effect their motion exerts on the electron subsystem. Through the mechanism of electron-phonon coupling, a coherent state of circularly polarized phonons generates substantial non-Maxwellian fields that disrupt time reversal symmetry, effectively emulating the behavior of authentic magnetic fields. Notably, the effective field can reach magnitudes as high as 100 T, surpassing by several orders of magnitude the Maxwellian field resulting from the circular motion of the ions. Because the light-induced non-reciprocal fields depend on the square of the phonon displacements, the chirality the photons transferred to the ions plays no role in magnetophononics.
title Magnetophononics and the Chiral Phonon Misnomer
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.19593