Two-dimensional Materials: Ground-breaking discovery made by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Through examination of the exotic properties of CrPS4, they have discovered a spectacular magnetic second harmonic generation effect that can lead to groundbreaking applications in advanced optoelectronic devices.
Peeking Behind the Magnetic Curtain
The Hefei Institutes of Physical Science research team, led by Professor Sheng Zhigao has achieved a major breakthrough in the two-dimensional material. In their studies, the researchers have seen a powerful nonlinear magnetic second harmonic generation (MSHG) effect in monolayer CrPS4, which is a novel two-dimensional magnetic material.
Abstract—The non-linear optical phenomenon of second harmonic generation (SHG) is the process by which a material derives light at twice the frequency when it interacts with an incident laser beam. It is highly sensitive to symmetry breaking and can be driven by both structural and magnetic order Online-Version Type-c SHG, driven by a magnetic order, is also detected in crystals with broken symmetry (e.g., type-i) but generally much weaker than that of the typical type-i SHG.
Deciphering the secret of two-dimensional magnetics
Now, the researchers found a new relationship between SHG and magnetic order in 2D materials, breaking new ground. They showed that both bulk and even-layered CrPS4 remained antiferromagnetically ordered without long-ranged magnetic disorders, which resulted in the absence of any type-c SHG signal. On the other hand, for the Odd-layers CrPS4, when they focused their attention to the monolayer ferromagnetic order and expected nontrivial Type-c SHG effects but there are significant type-c SHG (Fig.
Our findings represent the first observation of ferromagnetic-induced type-c SHG in a 2D magnet under the electric-dipole approximation. The former is due to the inversion symmetry breaking at the surface of a monolayer CrPS4, while the latter arises as time-reversal symmetry breaks simultaneously.
Even more remarkably, the type-c SHG that the researchers observed in their compound had a signal strength as strong as (or of comparable strength to) Type-i SHG induced by breaking classic structural symmetry. This was extremely uncommon among all known magnet materials.
Conclusion
This work is a breakthrough in the study of optoelectronics because two-dimensional CrPS4 monolayer will exhibit a strong magnetic second harmonic generation effect. This paves the way for a range of exotic optical applications and expands on more of the intriguing behavior exemplified by two-dimensional magnetic materials. Beyond simply stretching the boundaries of what we believe to be physically possible, Kruk’s work could lead to incredibly useful new technologiesSlightly more down-to-earth than a fictional zombie-proof wall..trailingAnchor less their-status as instruments of real-world mischief.
