Tracking local magnetic dynamics via high-energy charge excitations in a relativistic Mott insulator

We use time- and energy-resolved optical spectroscopy to investigate the coupling of electron-hole excitations to the magnetic environment in the relativistic Mott insulator Na2IrO3. We show that, on the picosecond time scale, the photoinjected electron-hole pairs delocalize on the hexagons of the I...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review. B 2016-11, Vol.94 (20), Article 201119
Main Authors: Nembrini, N., Peli, S., Banfi, F., Ferrini, G., Singh, Yogesh, Gegenwart, P., Comin, R., Foyevtsova, K., Damascelli, A., Avella, A., Giannetti, C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Hexagons
Holes (electron deficiencies)
Orbital mechanics
Relativism
Relativistic effects
Spin-orbit interactions
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Summary:We use time- and energy-resolved optical spectroscopy to investigate the coupling of electron-hole excitations to the magnetic environment in the relativistic Mott insulator Na2IrO3. We show that, on the picosecond time scale, the photoinjected electron-hole pairs delocalize on the hexagons of the Ir lattice via the formation of quasimolecular orbital excitations and the exchange of energy with the short-range-ordered zigzag magnetic background. The possibility of mapping the magnetic dynamics, which is characterized by typical frequencies in the THz range, onto high-energy (1–2 eV) charge excitations provides a platform to investigate, and possibly control, the dynamics of magnetic interactions in correlated materials with strong spin-orbit coupling, even in the presence of complex magnetic phases.
ISSN:2469-9950
2469-9969
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevB.94.201119