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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Letter › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Letter › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Selective Excitation of Terahertz Magnetic and Electric Dipoles in Er3+ Ions by Femtosecond Laser Pulses in ErFeO3
AU - Mikhaylovskiy, Rostislav
AU - Huisman, T.J.
AU - Pisarev, R.V.
AU - Rasing, Th.
AU - Kimel, A.V.
PY - 2017/1/6
Y1 - 2017/1/6
N2 - We show that femtosecond laser pulse excitation of the orthoferrite ErFeO3 triggers pico- and subpicosecond dynamics of magnetic and electric dipoles associated with the low energy electronic states of the Er3+ ions. These dynamics are readily revealed by using polarization sensitive terahertz emission spectroscopy. It is shown that by changing the polarization of the femtosecond laser pulse one can excite either electric dipole-active or magnetic dipole-active transitions between the Kramers doublets of the 4I15/2 ground state of the Er3+(4f11) ions. These observations serve as a proof of principle of polarization-selective control of both electric and magnetic degrees of freedom at terahertz frequencies, opening up new vistas for optical manipulation of magnetoelectric materials.
AB - We show that femtosecond laser pulse excitation of the orthoferrite ErFeO3 triggers pico- and subpicosecond dynamics of magnetic and electric dipoles associated with the low energy electronic states of the Er3+ ions. These dynamics are readily revealed by using polarization sensitive terahertz emission spectroscopy. It is shown that by changing the polarization of the femtosecond laser pulse one can excite either electric dipole-active or magnetic dipole-active transitions between the Kramers doublets of the 4I15/2 ground state of the Er3+(4f11) ions. These observations serve as a proof of principle of polarization-selective control of both electric and magnetic degrees of freedom at terahertz frequencies, opening up new vistas for optical manipulation of magnetoelectric materials.
KW - terahertz
KW - antiferromagnetism
KW - magneto-optics
KW - magnetic insulators
KW - multiferroics
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.017205
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.017205
M3 - Letter
VL - 118
JO - Physical review letters
JF - Physical review letters
SN - 1079-7114
M1 - 017205
ER -