Electric-field-enhanced second-harmonic domain contrast and nonreciprocity in a van der Waals antiferromagnet.

ABSTRACT: Imaging antiferromagnetic 180° domains with actively controlled visibility is vital for both fundamental science and sophisticated applications. While optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a well-known technique for distinguishing such domains in non-centrosymmetric antiferromagnets, a general material-based strategy to control domain contrast remains elusive. Using van der Waals antiferromagnet MnPS₃ as a proof of concept, we demonstrate the tuning of nonreciprocity-induced domain contrast in SHG through applying an in-plane electric field that transforms the magnetic point group to its unitary subgroup. The interference among intrinsic electric-dipole, magnetic-dipole, and field-induced electric-dipole transitions, each carrying distinct characters under space-inversion

SUBMITTER: Wang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11364783 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature