Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Spectral and Angle-Resolved Magneto-Optical Characterization of Photonic Nanostructures
Published on: November 21, 2019
Optical magnetization, Part I: Experiments on radiant optical magnetization in solids
Abstract:
Linearly-polarized magnetic dipole (MD) scattering as intense as Rayleigh scattering is reported in transparent garnet crystals and fused quartz through a magneto-electric interaction at the molecular level. Radiation patterns in quartz show the strongest optical magnetization relative to electric polarization ever reported. As shown in an accompanying paper, quantitative agreement is achieved with a strong-field, fully-quantized theory of magneto-electric (M-E) interactions in molecular media. The conclusion is reached that magnetic torque enables 2-photon resonance in an EH* process that excites molecular librations and accounts for the observed upper limit on magnetization. Second-order M-E dynamics can also account for unpolarized scattering from high-frequency librations previously ascribed to first-order collision-induced or third-order, all-electric processes.
Related Concept Videos
Atomic Nuclei: Magnetic Resonance
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes
Diamagnetism
Diamagnetism was discovered by Anton Brugmans in 1778 when he observed that bismuth gets repelled by magnetic fields, thus theorizing that diamagnets get repelled by magnets....
Magnetic Moment of an Electron
Paramagnetism
Ferromagnetism

