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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.06782 |
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| _version_ | 1866915189546287104 |
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| author | Fava, Mauro Romero, Aldo H. Bousquet, Eric |
| author_facet | Fava, Mauro Romero, Aldo H. Bousquet, Eric |
| contents | A phase transition can drive the spontaneous emergence of chiral orders in crystals below a critical temperature. However, selecting either a right- or a left-handed phase with the aid of electromagnetic fields is challenging, particularly when intrinsic polar and axial moments are lacking. In this work we show that \textit{purely} chiral phases with opposite handedness, when both deriving from one degenerate instability, are linked by accessible transition states. While these states compete with the chirality under an electromagnetic field, a circularly polarized source can select the handedness of the system. This selection is mediated by a chiral monopole and may further result in a hysteresis process of the gyrotropic properties, namely the optical activity, below the critical temperature. We suggest several materials, among which K$_3$NiO$_2$, as candidates for possible experimental observation. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_06782 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Handedness selection and hysteresis of chiral orders in crystals Fava, Mauro Romero, Aldo H. Bousquet, Eric Materials Science A phase transition can drive the spontaneous emergence of chiral orders in crystals below a critical temperature. However, selecting either a right- or a left-handed phase with the aid of electromagnetic fields is challenging, particularly when intrinsic polar and axial moments are lacking. In this work we show that \textit{purely} chiral phases with opposite handedness, when both deriving from one degenerate instability, are linked by accessible transition states. While these states compete with the chirality under an electromagnetic field, a circularly polarized source can select the handedness of the system. This selection is mediated by a chiral monopole and may further result in a hysteresis process of the gyrotropic properties, namely the optical activity, below the critical temperature. We suggest several materials, among which K$_3$NiO$_2$, as candidates for possible experimental observation. |
| title | Handedness selection and hysteresis of chiral orders in crystals |
| topic | Materials Science |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.06782 |