Axion optical induction of antiferromagnetic order

Jian Xiang Qiu; Christian Tzschaschel; Junyeong Ahn; Anyuan Gao; Houchen Li; Xin Yue Zhang; Barun Ghosh; Chaowei Hu; Yu Xuan Wang; Yu Fei Liu; Damien Bérubé; Thao Dinh; Zhenhao Gong; Shang Wei Lien; Sheng Chin Ho; Bahadur Singh; Kenji Watanabe; Takashi Taniguchi; David C. Bell; Hai Zhou Lu; Arun Bansil; Hsin Lin; Tay Rong Chang; Brian B. Zhou; Qiong Ma; Ashvin Vishwanath; Ni Ni; Su Yang Xu

doi:10.1038/s41563-023-01493-5

Axion optical induction of antiferromagnetic order

Jian Xiang Qiu, Christian Tzschaschel, Junyeong Ahn, Anyuan Gao, Houchen Li, Xin Yue Zhang, Barun Ghosh, Chaowei Hu, Yu Xuan Wang, Yu Fei Liu, Damien Bérubé, Thao Dinh, Zhenhao Gong, Shang Wei Lien, Sheng Chin Ho, Bahadur Singh, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, David C. Bell, Hai Zhou LuArun Bansil, Hsin Lin, Tay Rong Chang, Brian B. Zhou, Qiong Ma, Ashvin Vishwanath, Ni Ni, Su Yang Xu

Department of Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

26 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Using circularly polarized light to control quantum matter is a highly intriguing topic in physics, chemistry and biology. Previous studies have demonstrated helicity-dependent optical control of chirality and magnetization, with important implications in asymmetric synthesis in chemistry; homochirality in biomolecules; and ferromagnetic spintronics. We report the surprising observation of helicity-dependent optical control of fully compensated antiferromagnetic order in two-dimensional even-layered MnBi₂Te₄, a topological axion insulator with neither chirality nor magnetization. To understand this control, we study an antiferromagnetic circular dichroism, which appears only in reflection but is absent in transmission. We show that the optical control and circular dichroism both arise from the optical axion electrodynamics. Our axion induction provides the possibility to optically control a family of PT-symmetric antiferromagnets (P, inversion; T, time-reversal) such as Cr₂O₃, even-layered CrI₃ and possibly the pseudo-gap state in cuprates. In MnBi₂Te₄, this further opens the door for optical writing of a dissipationless circuit formed by topological edge states.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	583-590
Number of pages	8
Journal	Nature Materials
Volume	22
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-023-01493-5
Publication status	Published - 2023 May

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Chemistry
General Materials Science
Condensed Matter Physics
Mechanics of Materials
Mechanical Engineering

Access to Document

10.1038/s41563-023-01493-5

Cite this

Qiu, J. X., Tzschaschel, C., Ahn, J., Gao, A., Li, H., Zhang, X. Y., Ghosh, B., Hu, C., Wang, Y. X., Liu, Y. F., Bérubé, D., Dinh, T., Gong, Z., Lien, S. W., Ho, S. C., Singh, B., Watanabe, K., Taniguchi, T., Bell, D. C., ... Xu, S. Y. (2023). Axion optical induction of antiferromagnetic order. Nature Materials, 22(5), 583-590. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-023-01493-5

@article{24606e6229044d7884b36401aa45c64e,

title = "Axion optical induction of antiferromagnetic order",

abstract = "Using circularly polarized light to control quantum matter is a highly intriguing topic in physics, chemistry and biology. Previous studies have demonstrated helicity-dependent optical control of chirality and magnetization, with important implications in asymmetric synthesis in chemistry; homochirality in biomolecules; and ferromagnetic spintronics. We report the surprising observation of helicity-dependent optical control of fully compensated antiferromagnetic order in two-dimensional even-layered MnBi2Te4, a topological axion insulator with neither chirality nor magnetization. To understand this control, we study an antiferromagnetic circular dichroism, which appears only in reflection but is absent in transmission. We show that the optical control and circular dichroism both arise from the optical axion electrodynamics. Our axion induction provides the possibility to optically control a family of PT-symmetric antiferromagnets (P, inversion; T, time-reversal) such as Cr2O3, even-layered CrI3 and possibly the pseudo-gap state in cuprates. In MnBi2Te4, this further opens the door for optical writing of a dissipationless circuit formed by topological edge states.",

author = "Qiu, {Jian Xiang} and Christian Tzschaschel and Junyeong Ahn and Anyuan Gao and Houchen Li and Zhang, {Xin Yue} and Barun Ghosh and Chaowei Hu and Wang, {Yu Xuan} and Liu, {Yu Fei} and Damien B{\'e}rub{\'e} and Thao Dinh and Zhenhao Gong and Lien, {Shang Wei} and Ho, {Sheng Chin} and Bahadur Singh and Kenji Watanabe and Takashi Taniguchi and Bell, {David C.} and Lu, {Hai Zhou} and Arun Bansil and Hsin Lin and Chang, {Tay Rong} and Zhou, {Brian B.} and Qiong Ma and Ashvin Vishwanath and Ni Ni and Xu, {Su Yang}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.",

year = "2023",

month = may,

doi = "10.1038/s41563-023-01493-5",

language = "English",

volume = "22",

pages = "583--590",

journal = "Nature Materials",

issn = "1476-1122",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "5",

}

Qiu, JX, Tzschaschel, C, Ahn, J, Gao, A, Li, H, Zhang, XY, Ghosh, B, Hu, C, Wang, YX, Liu, YF, Bérubé, D, Dinh, T, Gong, Z, Lien, SW, Ho, SC, Singh, B, Watanabe, K, Taniguchi, T, Bell, DC, Lu, HZ, Bansil, A, Lin, H, Chang, TR, Zhou, BB, Ma, Q, Vishwanath, A, Ni, N & Xu, SY 2023, 'Axion optical induction of antiferromagnetic order', Nature Materials, vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 583-590. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-023-01493-5

TY - JOUR

T1 - Axion optical induction of antiferromagnetic order

AU - Qiu, Jian Xiang

AU - Tzschaschel, Christian

AU - Ahn, Junyeong

AU - Gao, Anyuan

AU - Li, Houchen

AU - Zhang, Xin Yue

AU - Ghosh, Barun

AU - Hu, Chaowei

AU - Wang, Yu Xuan

AU - Liu, Yu Fei

AU - Bérubé, Damien

AU - Dinh, Thao

AU - Gong, Zhenhao

AU - Lien, Shang Wei

AU - Ho, Sheng Chin

AU - Singh, Bahadur

AU - Watanabe, Kenji

AU - Taniguchi, Takashi

AU - Bell, David C.

AU - Lu, Hai Zhou

AU - Bansil, Arun

AU - Lin, Hsin

AU - Chang, Tay Rong

AU - Zhou, Brian B.

AU - Ma, Qiong

AU - Vishwanath, Ashvin

AU - Ni, Ni

AU - Xu, Su Yang

PY - 2023/5

Y1 - 2023/5

N2 - Using circularly polarized light to control quantum matter is a highly intriguing topic in physics, chemistry and biology. Previous studies have demonstrated helicity-dependent optical control of chirality and magnetization, with important implications in asymmetric synthesis in chemistry; homochirality in biomolecules; and ferromagnetic spintronics. We report the surprising observation of helicity-dependent optical control of fully compensated antiferromagnetic order in two-dimensional even-layered MnBi2Te4, a topological axion insulator with neither chirality nor magnetization. To understand this control, we study an antiferromagnetic circular dichroism, which appears only in reflection but is absent in transmission. We show that the optical control and circular dichroism both arise from the optical axion electrodynamics. Our axion induction provides the possibility to optically control a family of PT-symmetric antiferromagnets (P, inversion; T, time-reversal) such as Cr2O3, even-layered CrI3 and possibly the pseudo-gap state in cuprates. In MnBi2Te4, this further opens the door for optical writing of a dissipationless circuit formed by topological edge states.

AB - Using circularly polarized light to control quantum matter is a highly intriguing topic in physics, chemistry and biology. Previous studies have demonstrated helicity-dependent optical control of chirality and magnetization, with important implications in asymmetric synthesis in chemistry; homochirality in biomolecules; and ferromagnetic spintronics. We report the surprising observation of helicity-dependent optical control of fully compensated antiferromagnetic order in two-dimensional even-layered MnBi2Te4, a topological axion insulator with neither chirality nor magnetization. To understand this control, we study an antiferromagnetic circular dichroism, which appears only in reflection but is absent in transmission. We show that the optical control and circular dichroism both arise from the optical axion electrodynamics. Our axion induction provides the possibility to optically control a family of PT-symmetric antiferromagnets (P, inversion; T, time-reversal) such as Cr2O3, even-layered CrI3 and possibly the pseudo-gap state in cuprates. In MnBi2Te4, this further opens the door for optical writing of a dissipationless circuit formed by topological edge states.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85149454455&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85149454455&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41563-023-01493-5

DO - 10.1038/s41563-023-01493-5

M3 - Article

C2 - 36894774

AN - SCOPUS:85149454455

SN - 1476-1122

VL - 22

SP - 583

EP - 590

JO - Nature Materials

JF - Nature Materials

IS - 5

ER -

Axion optical induction of antiferromagnetic order

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this