Multiferroics permit the magnetic control of the electric polarization and electric control of the magnetization. These static magnetoelectric (ME) effects are of enormous interest: The ability to read and write a magnetic state current-free by an el
ectric voltage would provide a huge technological advantage. Dynamic or optical ME effects are equally interesting because they give rise to unidirectional light propagation as recently observed in low-temperature multiferroics. This phenomenon, if realized at room temperature, would allow the development of optical diodes which transmit unpolarized light in one, but not in the opposite direction. Here, we report strong unidirectional transmission in the room-temperature multiferroic BiFeO$_3$ over the gigahertz--terahertz frequency range. Supporting theory attributes the observed unidirectional transmission to the spin-current driven dynamic ME effect. These findings are an important step toward the realization of optical diodes, supplemented by the ability to switch the transmission direction with a magnetic or electric field.
Following the early prediction of the skyrmion lattice (SkL) - a periodic array of spin vortices - it has been observed recently in various magnetic crystals mostly with chiral structure. Although non-chiral but polar crystals with C$_{nv}$ symmetry
were identifed as ideal SkL hosts in pioneering theoretical studies this archetype of SkL has remained experimentally unexplored. Here, we report the discovery of a SkL in the polar magnetic semiconductor GaV$_4$S$_8$ with rhombohedral (C$_{3v}$) symmetry and easy axis anisotropy. The SkL exists over an unusually broad temperature range compared with other bulk crystals and the orientation of the vortices is not controlled by the external magnetic feld but instead confned to the magnetic easy axis. Supporting theory attributes these unique features to a new non-chiral or Neel-type of SkL describable as a superposition of spin cycloids in contrast to the Bloch-type SkL in chiral magnets described in terms of spin helices.
We propose that concurrently magnetic and ferroelectric, i.e. multiferroic, compounds endowed with electrically-active magnetic excitations (electromagnons) provide a key to produce large directional dichroism for long wavelengths of light. By exploi
ting the control of ferroelectric polarization and magnetization in a multiferroic oxide Ba$_2$CoGe$_2$O$_7$, we demonstrate the realization of such a directional light-switch function at terahertz frequecies in resonance with the electromagnon absorption. Our results imply that this hidden potential is present in a broad variety of multiferroics.
We demonstrate that the onset of complex spin orders in ACr$_2$O$_4$ spinels with magnetic A$=$Co, Fe and Cu ions lowers the lattice symmetry. This is clearly indicated by the emergence of anisotropic lattice dynamics -- as evidenced by the pronounce
d phonon splittings -- even when experiments probing static distortions fail. We show that the crystal symmetry in the magnetic phase is reduced from tetragonal to orthorhombic for FeCr$_2$O$_4$ and CuCr$_2$O$_4$ with Jahn-Teller active A-site ions. The conical spin structure in FeCr$_2$O$_4$ is also manifested in the phonon frequencies. In contrast, the multiferroic CoCr$_2$O$_4$ with no orbital degrees of freedom remains nearly cubic in its ground state.
We have developed a conceptually new type of ellipsometry which allows the determination of the complex refractive index by simultaneously measuring the unpolarized normal-incidence reflectivity relative to the vacuum and to another reference media.
From these two quantities the complex optical response can be directly obtained without Kramers-Kronig transformation. Due to its transparency and large refractive index over a broad range of the spectrum, from the far-infrared to the soft ultraviolet region, diamond can be ideally used as a second reference. The experimental arrangement is rather simple compared to other ellipsometric techniques.
We present a systematic optical study for a bandwidth-controlled series of nearly half doped colossal magnetoresistive manganites RE$_{0.55}$AE$_{0.45}$MnO$_3$ (RE and AE being rare earth and alkaline earth ions, respectively) under the presence of q
uenched disorder over a broad temperature region $T=10-800$ K. The ground state of the compounds ranges from the charge and orbital ordered insulator through the spin glass to the ferromagnetic metal. The enhanced phase fluctuations, namely the short-range charge and orbital correlations dominate the paramagnetic region of the phase diagram above all the ground-state phases. This paramagnetic region is characterized by a full-gap to pseudo-gap crossover towards elevated temperatures where a broad low-energy electronic structure appears in the conductivity spectra over a large variation of the bandwidth. This pseudo-gap state with local correlations is robust against thermal fluctuations at least up to T=800 K. For small bandwidth the onset of the long-range charge order is accompanied by an instantaneous increase of the gap. The emergence of the ferromagnetic state is manifested in the optical spectra as a first-order insulator to metal transition for compounds with moderate bandwidth while it becomes a second-order transition on the larger bandwidth side. Unusually large scattering rate of the metallic carriers is observed in the ferromagnetic state which is attributed to orbital correlation with probably rod-like ($3z^2-r^2$-like) character.
We have extended the range of the high-pressure optical spectroscopy to the far-infrared region keeping the accuracy of ambient-pressure experiments. The newly-developed method offers a powerful tool for the study of pressure-induced phase transition
s and electronic-structural changes in correlated electron systems. The novel-type optical pressure cell, equipped with large free-aperture diamond window, allows the measurement of optical reflectivity down to $omegaapprox20-30$ cm$^{-1}$ for hydrostatic pressures up to $papprox26$ kbar. The efficiency of the technique is demonstrated by the investigation of the 2-dimensional charge-density-wave 1$T$-TaS$_2$ whose electronic structure shows high sensitivity to external pressure. The room-temperature semi-metallic phase of 1$T$-TaS$_2$ is effectively extended by application of pressure and stabilized as the ground state above $p=14$ kbar. The corresponding fully incoherent low-energy optical conductivity is almost temperature independent below T=300 K. For intermediate pressures, the onset of the low-temperature insulating phase is reflected by the sudden drop of the reflectivity and by the emergence of sharp phonon resonances.
