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 spatial chirality and magnetization $M$. The former is central for asymmetric synthesis in chemistry and homochirality in bio-molecules, while the latter is of great interest for ferromagnetic spintronics. In this paper, we report the surprising observation of helicity-dependent optical control of fully-compensated antiferromagnetic (AFM) order in 2D even-layered MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$, a topological Axion insulator with neither chirality nor $M$. We further demonstrate helicity-dependent optical creation of AFM domain walls by double induction beams and the direct reversal of AFM domains by ultrafast pulses. The control and reversal of AFM domains and domain walls by light helicity have never been achieved in any fully-compensated AFM. To understand this optical control, we study a novel type of circular dichroism (CD) proportional to the AFM order, which only appears in reflection but is absent in transmission. We show that the optical control and CD both arise from the optical Axion electrodynamics, which can be visualized as a Berry curvature real space dipole. Our Axion induction provides the possibility to optically control a family of $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetric AFMs such as Cr${}_2$O${}_3$, CrI${}_3$ and possibly novel states in cuprates. In MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$, this further opens the door for optical writing of dissipationless circuit formed by topological edge states.

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Cited by in corpus (30)

• Roadmap for Photonics with 2D Materials
• Progress and Prospects in Two-Dimensional Magnetism of van der Waals Materials
• Observation of the Axion quasiparticle in 2D MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Dissipationless Layertronics in Axion Insulator $\mathrm{MnB}{\mathrm{i}}_2\mathrm{T}{\mathrm{e}}_4$
• Light-induced half-quantized Hall effect and axion insulator
• Light-induced topological phase transition with tunable layer Hall effect in axion antiferromagnets
• Towards the Quantized Anomalous Hall effect in AlO${}_x$-capped MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Real-time observation of magnetization and magnon dynamics in a two-dimensional topological antiferromagnet MnBi2Te4
• Electrically Controlled Anomalous Hall Effect and Orbital Magnetization in Topological Magnet MnBi2Te4
• An antiferromagnetic diode effect in even-layered MnBi2Te4
• Intrinsic magnetic topological insulators of the MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$ family
• Fabrication-induced even-odd discrepancy of magnetotransport in few-layer MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Ubiquitous order-disorder transition in the Mn antisite sublattice of the (MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$)(Bi${}_2$Te${}_3$)${}_n$ magnetic topological insulators
• Roadmap on Quantum Magnetic Materials
• Configurable antiferromagnetic domains and lateral exchange bias in atomically thin CrPS4
• Optical Switching of Moiré Chern Ferromagnet
• Distinguishing Surface and Bulk Electromagnetism via Their Dynamics in an Intrinsic Magnetic Topological Insulator
• Enhanced Magnetization by Defect-Assisted Exciton Recombination in Atomically Thin CrCl${}_3$
• Chiral edge state coupling theory of transport in quantum anomalous Hall insulators
• Efficient Quantum Transduction Using Anti-Ferromagnetic Topological Insulators
• Detecting axion dynamics on the surface of magnetic topological insulators
• Spectroscopic evidence of intra-unit-cell charge redistribution in charge-neutral magnetic topological insulator Sb-doped MnBi6Te10
• Reversing Neel Vector in PT-Antiferromagnets by Nonreciprocal Light Scattering
• Magneto-optical Kerr and Faraday effects in bilayer antiferromagnetic insulators
• Photomagnetic-Chiral Anisotropy mediated by Chirality-Driven Asymmetric Spin Splitting
• Chromium chalcohalide Janus monolayer ferromagnets with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and high Curie temperature
• Giant and Broadband Circular Dichroism from Particle-Hole Symmetry Breaking in Weyl Semimetals
• Simple model for the gap in the surface states of the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Emerging axion detection in artificial magnetoelectric materials
• Theoretical design of the large topological magnetoelectric effect in the Co-intercalated NbS${}_2$ structure