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arXiv · 2604.03441

Microwave-to-optical transduction using magnon-exciton coupling in a layered antiferromagnet

Pratap Chandra Adak·Iris McDaniel·Suvodeep Paul·Caleb Heuvel-Horwitz·Bikash Das·Vitali Kozlov·Kseniia Mosina·Arun Ramanathan·Xavier Roy·Zdeněk Sofer·Tian Zhong·Akashdeep Kamra·Arno Thielens·Andrea Alù·Vinod M. Menon
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Abstract

Coherent interfaces between microwave-frequency quantum systems and low-loss optical links are essential for quantum networks. However, existing microwave-optical transducers often trade conversion efficiency against added noise, bandwidth, and device integrability. Here, we demonstrate coherent microwave-to-optical transduction based on magnon-exciton coupling in the layered antiferromagnet CrSBr. Driving the antiferromagnetic resonance with microwave signals imprints coherent modulation on a reflected optical probe, generating optical sidebands that are resonantly enhanced near excitonic transitions. While prior magnon-based approaches to microwave-to-optical transduction have typically relied on intrinsically weak off-resonant magneto-optical effects (e.g., Faraday rotation), our scheme exploits strong light-matter interactions at exciton resonances. Even in a bulk crystal without cavity enhancement, we observe coherent conversion over an intrinsically broadband window of ~ 300 MHz. We further show that multiple exciton-polariton resonances inherit the magnon-coupled response, suggesting a route to broaden the usable optical detuning range and to mitigate optical dissipation. Our results establish magnon-coupled excitons in layered magnets as a scalable platform for broadband microwave-optical interfaces, with pathways to higher cooperativity via reduced magnetic volume and cavity integration.

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Pratap Chandra Adak, Iris McDaniel, Suvodeep Paul, Caleb Heuvel-Horwitz, Bikash Das, Vitali Kozlov, Kseniia Mosina, Arun Ramanathan, Xavier Roy, Zdeněk Sofer, Tian Zhong, Akashdeep Kamra, Arno Thielens, Andrea Alù, Vinod M. Menon. 2026-04-03. Microwave-to-optical transduction using magnon-exciton coupling in a layered antiferromagnet. https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.03441

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