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arXiv · 1912.01888

Magneto-optical response of chromium trihalide monolayers: chemical trends

A. Molina-Sánchez·G. Catarina·D. Sangalli·J. Fernández-Rossier
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Abstract

Chromium trihalides (CrI$_3$, CrBr$_3$ and CrCl$_3$) form a prominent family of isostructural insulating layered materials in which ferromagnetic order has been observed down to the monolayer. Here we provide a comprehensive computational study of magneto-optical properties that are used as probes for the monolayer ferromagnetic order: magnetic circular dichroism and magneto-optic Kerr effect. Using a combination of density functional and Bethe-Salpeter theories, we calculate both the optical absorption and the magneto-optical Kerr angle spectra, including both excitonic effects and spinorial wave functions. We compare the magneto-optical response of the chromium trihalides series and we find that its strength is governed by the spin-orbit coupling of the ligand atoms (I, Br, Cl).

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A. Molina-Sánchez, G. Catarina, D. Sangalli, J. Fernández-Rossier. 2019-12-04. Magneto-optical response of chromium trihalide monolayers: chemical trends. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0tc01322f

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