Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 10, 2026
09:06
Visualizing Uniaxial-strain Manipulation of Antiferromagnetic Domains in Fe1+YTe Using a Spin-polarized Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Published on: March 24, 2019
8.5K
Circular Dichroism in Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering: Probing Altermagnetic Domains in MnTe
D Takegami1, T Aoyama2, T Okauchi3
1Waseda University, Department of Applied Physics, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan.
Physical Review Letters
|November 21, 2025
Summary
Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering circular dichroism (RIXS-CD) reveals magnetic order by detecting changes in unitary symmetries, not just time-reversal symmetry breaking. This technique sensitively probes magnetic domains in materials like MnTe.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) identifies magnetic orders (ferromagnetic, chiral, altermagnetic) by detecting time-reversal symmetry (T) breaking.
- The symmetry principles governing circular dichroism (CD) in resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the symmetry properties governing RIXS-CD.
- To demonstrate that RIXS-CD can detect magnetic order without requiring T breaking.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of RIXS-CD symmetry.
- Experimental RIXS measurements on the altermagnetic material MnTe.
Main Results:
- RIXS-CD does not require T breaking due to the irreversible nature of the RIXS process.
- RIXS-CD reflects changes in unitary symmetries associated with magnetic ordering.
- An azimuthal-angle dependent RIXS-CD signal was observed in magnon excitations of MnTe.
Conclusions:
- RIXS-CD is sensitive to relativistic symmetries in magnetic systems.
- RIXS-CD shows potential as a novel probe for characterizing magnetic domains.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:05Atomic Nuclei: Magnetic Resonance
1.1K
The number of nuclear spins aligned in the lower energy state is slightly greater than those in the higher energy state. In the presence of an external magnetic field, as the spins precess at the Larmor frequency, the excess population results in a net magnetization oriented along the z axis. When a pulse or a short burst of radio waves at the Larmor frequency is applied along the x axis, the coupling of frequencies causes resonance and flips the nuclear spins of the excess population from the...
1.1K
01:12Double Resonance Techniques: Overview
675
Double resonance techniques in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy involve the simultaneous application of two different frequencies or radiofrequency pulses to manipulate and observe two distinct nuclear spins. One important application of double resonance is spin decoupling, which selectively suppresses coupling with one type of nucleus while observing the NMR signal from another nucleus, simplifying the spectrum and enhancing resolution.
Spin decoupling is usually achieved by...
Spin decoupling is usually achieved by...
675
01:14NMR Spectrometers: Resolution and Error Correction
1.0K
When magnetic nuclei in a sample achieve resonance and undergo relaxation, the signal detected in NMR is an approximately exponential free induction decay. Fourier transform of an exponential decay yields a Lorentzian peak in the frequency domain. Lorentzian peaks in an NMR spectrum are defined by their amplitude, full width at half maximum, and position, where the peak width is governed by the spin-spin relaxation time alone. In real experiments, however, the applied magnetic field is rendered...
1.0K
01:31Ferromagnetism
2.9K
Materials like iron, nickel, and cobalt consist of magnetic domains, within which the magnetic dipoles are arranged parallel to each other. The magnetic dipoles are rigidly aligned in the same direction within a domain by quantum mechanical coupling among the atoms. This coupling is so strong that even thermal agitation at room temperature cannot break it. The result is that each domain has a net dipole moment. However, some materials have weaker coupling, and are ferromagnetic at lower...
2.9K
01:23Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes
1.2K
In the absence of an external magnetic field, nuclear spin states are degenerate and randomly oriented. When a magnetic field is applied, the spins begin to precess and orient themselves along (lower energy) or against (higher energy) the direction of the field. At equilibrium, a slight excess population of spins exists in the lower energy state. Because the direction of the magnetic field is fixed as the z-axis, the precessing magnetic moments are randomly oriented around the z-axis.
1.2K
01:15¹H NMR of Conformationally Flexible Molecules: Variable-Temperature NMR
1.7K
The axial and equatorial protons in cyclohexane can be distinguished by performing a variable-temperature NMR experiment. In this process, except for one proton, the remaining eleven protons are replaced by deuterium. The deuterium substitution avoids the possible peak splitting caused by the spin-spin coupling between the adjacent protons. The remaining proton flips between the axial and equatorial positions.
1.7K