Total Angular Momentum Dichroism of the Terahertz Vortex Beams at the Antiferromagnetic Resonances.

Terahertz vortex beams with different superposition of the orbital angular momentum l=±1, ±2, ±3, and ±4 and spin angular momentum σ=±1 were used to study antiferromagnetic (AFM) resonances in TbFe_{3}(BO_{3})_{4} and Ni_{3}TeO_{6} single crystals. In both materials we observed a strong vortex beam dichroism for the AFM resonances that are split in external magnetic field. The magnitude of the vortex dichroism is comparable to that for conventional circular dichroism due to σ.

Terahertz Vortex Beam as a Spectroscopic Probe of Magnetic Excitations.

Circularly polarized light with spin angular momentum is one of the most valuable probes of magnetism. We demonstrate that light beams with orbital angular momentum (OAM), or vortex beams, can also couple to magnetism exhibiting dichroisms in a magnetized medium. Resonant optical absorption in a ferrimagnetic crystal depends strongly on both the handedness of the vortex and the direction of the beam propagation with respect to the sample magnetization.

Bifurcations of Coupled Electron-Phonon Modes in an Antiferromagnet Subjected to a Magnetic Field.

We report on a new effect caused by the electron-phonon coupling in a stoichiometric rare-earth antiferromagnetic crystal subjected to an external magnetic field, namely, the appearance of a nonzero gap in the spectrum of electronic excitations in an arbitrarily small field. The effect was registered in the low-temperature far-infrared (terahertz) reflection spectra of an easy-axis antiferromagnet PrFe_{3}(BO_{3})_{4} in magnetic fields B_{ext}∥c. Both paramagnetic and magnetically ordered phases (including a spin-flop one) were studied in magnetic fields up to 30 T, and two bifurcation points were observed.

Synchrotron radiation-based far-infrared spectroscopic ellipsometer with full Mueller-matrix capability.

We developed far-IR spectroscopic ellipsometer at the U4IR beamline of the National Synchrotron Light Source in Brookhaven National Laboratory. This ellipsometer is able to measure both, rotating analyzer and full-Mueller matrix spectra using rotating retarders, and wire-grid linear polarizers. We utilize exceptional brightness of synchrotron radiation in the broad spectral range between about 20 and 4000 cm(-1).

Giant effect of uniaxial pressure on magnetic domain populations in multiferroic bismuth ferrite.

Neutron diffraction is used to show that small (∼7 MPa, or 70 bar) uniaxial pressure produces significant changes in the populations of magnetic domains in a single crystal of 2% Nd-doped bismuth ferrite. The magnetic easy plane of the domains converted by the pressure is rotated 60° relative to its original position. These results demonstrate extreme sensitivity of the magnetic properties of multiferroic bismuth ferrite to tiny (less than 10(-4)) elastic strain, as well as weakness of the forces pinning the domain walls between the cycloidal magnetic domains in this material.