arXiv subjects

N. M. Kawahala

Publications and source records attributed to N. M. Kawahala.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Colossal Terahertz Magnetoresistance from Magnetic Polarons in EuZn$_2$P$_2$

Magnetic polarons can generate colossal magnetoresistance in magnetic semiconductors, yet their terahertz electrodynamics remain largely unexplored. Here we report magneto-terahertz spectroscopy of the Eu-based Zintl antiferromagnet EuZn$_2$P$_2$. The low-frequency conductivity shows pronounced non-Drude behavior consistent with an evolution from isolated to overlapping magnetic polarons upon cooling. The polaron relaxation time reaches a maximum near the Néel temperature at zero field and exhibits a strong magnetic-field dependence. This polaron-driven reshaping of the conductivity leads to a strongly frequency-dependent magnetoresistance that becomes colossal in the terahertz range, reaching about 90~\% at 1.5~THz, roughly three times larger than the zero-frequency limit value. These results demonstrate that magnetic polarons strongly govern the low-energy electrodynamics and highlight the sensitivity of terahertz spectroscopy to polaronic magnetotransport in correlated magnetic semiconductors.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Engineering a Correlated Narrow-Gap Semiconductor: Effects of Ga Substitution in EuZn$_2$P$_2$

The effect of Ga substitution on the electronic, magnetic, and low-energy responses of the Zintl phase EuZn$_2$P$_2$ is investigated by electrical transport, electron spin resonance (ESR), and terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). Incorporating Ga into EuZn$_2$P$_2$ (EuZn$_{1.8}$Ga$_{0.2}$P$_2$) reduces the electrical resistivity, indicating enhanced free-carrier density and a narrowed semiconducting gap. ESR confirms the persistence of Eu$^{2+}$ moments while showing a crossover from a Lorentzian to a Dysonian lineshape, consistent with reduced skin depth, increased carrier density, and the emergence of diffusive contributions. Ga-substituted compound display pronounced negative magnetoresistance linked to magnetic-polaron formation. THz-TDS reveals strong low-frequency absorption and a notable enhancement of the Drude conductivity in the substituted material, together with an increased carrier scattering time and enhanced carrier-density--to--effective-mass ratio. These results demonstrate that Ga substitution tunes charge transport, carrier dynamics, and short-range magnetic correlations in EuZn$_2$P$_2$, establishing EuZn$_{1.8}$Ga$_{0.2}$P$_2$ as a promising platform for engineering correlated narrow-gap magnetic semiconductors with enhanced electronic and spin-dependent functionalities.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Electrical control of spin relaxation anisotropy during drift transport in a two-dimensional electron gas

Spin relaxation was studied in a two-dimensional electron gas confined in a wide GaAs quantum well. Recently, the control of the spin relaxation anisotropy by diffusive motion was first shown in D. Iizasa et al., arXiv:2006.08253 (2020). Here, we demonstrate electrical control by drift transport in a system with two-subbands occupied. The combined effect of in-plane and gate voltages was investigated using time-resolved Kerr rotation. The measured relaxation time present strong anisotropy with respect to the transport direction. For an in-plane accelerating electric field along $\left[110\right]$, the lifetime was strongly suppressed irrespective of the applied gate voltage. Remarkably, for transport along $\left[1\bar{1}0\right]$, the data shows spin lifetime that was gate-dependent and longer than in the $\left[110\right]$ direction regardless of the in-plane voltage. In agreement, independent results of anisotropic spin precession frequencies are also presented. Nevertheless, the long spin lifetime, strong anisotropy and drift response seen in the data are beyond the existing models for spin drift and diffusion.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Macroscopic transverse drift of long current-induced spin coherence in two-dimensional electron gases

We imaged the transport of current-induced spin coherence in a two-dimensional electron gas confined in a triple quantum well. Nonlocal Kerr rotation measurements, based on the optical resonant amplification of the electrically-induced polarization, revealed a large spatial variation of the electron g factor and the efficient generation of a current controlled spin-orbit field in a macroscopic Hall bar device. We observed coherence times in the nanoseconds range transported beyond half-millimeter distances in a direction transverse to the applied electric field. The measured long spin transport length can be explained by two material properties: large mean free path for charge diffusion in clean systems and enhanced spin-orbit coefficients in the triple well.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗