Topological Dirac semi-metals as novel, optically-switchable, helicity-dependent terahertz sources

2022 47th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz) IEEE (2022)

Authors:

Jessica L Boland, Chelsea Q Xia, Djamshid A Damry, Piet Schonherr, Dharmalingam Prabhakaran, Laura M Herz, Thorsten Hesjedal, Michael B Johnston

Abstract:

The generation and control of terahertz pulses is vital for realizing the potential of terahertz radiation in several sectors, including 6G communication, security and imaging. In this work, we present the topological Dirac semimetal cadmium arsenide as a novel helicity-dependent terahertz source. We show both broadband (single-cycle) and narrowband (multi-cycle) terahertz pulses upon near-infrared photoexcitation at oblique incidence. By varying the incident angle of the photoexcitation pulse, control of the emission frequency can also be achieved, providing a candidate for a tuneable narrowband terahertz source.

Topological metamagnetism: Thermodynamics and dynamics of the transition in spin ice under uniaxial compression

Physical Review B American Physical Society (APS) 105:18 (2022) 184422

Authors:

L Pili, A Steppke, ME Barber, F Jerzembeck, CW Hicks, PC Guruciaga, D Prabhakaran, R Moessner, AP Mackenzie, SA Grigera, RA Borzi

Model for coupled 4 f-3d magnetic spectra: a neutron scattering study of the Yb-Fe hybridization in Yb3Fe5 O12

Physical Review B American Physical Society 105:10 (2022) 104422

Authors:

V Peçanha-Antonio, D Prabhakaran, C Balz, A Krajewska, At Boothroyd

Abstract:

In this work, we explore experimentally and theoretically the spectrum of magnetic excitations of the Fe3+ and Yb3+ ions in ytterbium iron garnet (Yb3Fe5O12). We present a complete description of the crystal-field splitting of the 4f states of Yb3+, including the effect of the exchange field generated by the magnetically ordered Fe subsystem. We also consider a further effect of the Fe-Yb exchange interaction, which is to hybridize the Yb crystal field excitations with the Fe spin-wave modes at positions in the Brillouin zone where the two types of excitations cross. We present detailed measurements of these hybridized excitations, and we propose a framework that can be used in the quantitative analysis of the coupled spectra in terms of the anisotropic 4f-3d exchange interaction.

Inhomogeneous spin excitations in weakly coupled spin-1/2 chains

Physical Review Research American Physical Society 4:1 (2022) 013111

Authors:

L Shen, E Campillo, O Zaharko, P Steffens, M Boehm, K Beauvois, B Ouladdiaf, Z He, Dharmalingam Prabhakaran, Andrew Boothroyd, E Blackburn

Abstract:

We present a systematic inelastic neutron scattering and neutron diffraction study on the magnetic structure of the quasi-one-dimensional spin- 1 2 magnet SrCo 2 V 2 O 8 , where the interchain coupling in the Néel-type antiferromagnetic ground state breaks the static spin lattice into two independent domains. At zero magnetic field, we have observed two new spin excitations with small spectral weights inside the gapped region defined by the spinon bound states. In an external magnetic field along the chain axis, the Néel order gets partially destabilized at μ 0 H ★ = 2.0 T and completely suppressed at μ 0 H p = 3.9 T , above which a quantum disordered Tomonaga–Luttinger liquid (TLL) prevails. The low-energy spin excitations between μ 0 H ★ and μ 0 H p are not homogeneous, containing the dispersionless (or weakly dispersive) spinon bound states excited in the Néel phase and the highly dispersive psinon-antipsinon mode characteristic of a TLL. We propose that the two new modes at zero field are spinon excitations inside the domain walls. Since they have a smaller gap than those excited in the Néel domains, the underlying spin chains enter the TLL state via a local quantum phase transition at μ 0 H ★ , making the Néel/TLL coexistence a stable configuration until the excitation gap in the Néel domains closes at μ 0 H p .

Magnetic monopole density and antiferromagnetic domain control in spin-ice iridates

Nature Communications Springer Nature 13:1 (2022) 444

Authors:

Mj Pearce, K Götze, Attila Szabó, Ts Sikkenk, Mr Lees, Andrew Boothroyd, D Prabhakaran, C Castelnovo, Pa Goddard

Abstract:

Magnetically frustrated systems provide fertile ground for complex behaviour, including unconventional ground states with emergent symmetries, topological properties, and exotic excitations. A canonical example is the emergence of magnetic-charge-carrying quasiparticles in spin-ice compounds. Despite extensive work, a reliable experimental indicator of the density of these magnetic monopoles is yet to be found. Using measurements on single crystals of Ho2Ir2O7 combined with dipolar Monte Carlo simulations, we show that the isothermal magnetoresistance is highly sensitive to the monopole density. Moreover, we uncover an unexpected and strong coupling between the monopoles on the holmium sublattice and the antiferromagnetically ordered iridium ions. These results pave the way towards a quantitative experimental measure of monopole density and demonstrate the ability to control antiferromagnetic domain walls using a uniform external magnetic field, a key goal in the design of next-generation spintronic devices.