Large effective magnetic fields from chiral phonons in rare-earth halides

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 382; no. 6671; pp. 698 - 702
• Main Authors: Luo, Jiaming, Lin, Tong, Zhang, Junjie, Chen, Xiaotong, Blackert, Elizabeth R., Xu, Rui, Yakobson, Boris I., Zhu, Hanyu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington The American Association for the Advancement of Science 10.11.2023
• Subjects: Cerium; Circular polarization; Energy efficiency; Halides; Magnetic fields; Materials science; Optoelectronics; Phonons; Rare earth elements

Time-reversal symmetry (TRS) is pivotal for materials’ optical, magnetic, topological, and transport properties. Chiral phonons, characterized by atoms rotating unidirectionally around their equilibrium positions, generate dynamic lattice structures that break TRS. Here, we report that coherent chir...