arXiv subjects

Shahla Yasmin Mathengattil

Publications and source records attributed to Shahla Yasmin Mathengattil.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Raman signatures of a non-reciprocal magnetic phase transition in Ca$_2$RuO$_4$

The magnetic behavior of Ca$_2$RuO$_4$ represents a unique puzzle due to the interplay of strong electronic correlations, magneto-elastic interactions, and large spin-orbit coupling. At low temperatures, an anomalous Mott insulating state emerges, characterized by a complex antiferromagnetic order with a collective amplitude excitation of the magnetic moment which has been discussed in analogy with the Higgs mode. We report here evidence of a magnetic first-order phase transition driven by an out-of-plane magnetic field along the crystallographic $c$-axis of Ca$_2$RuO$_4$. Raman measurements in magnetic field reveal the emergence of mode of magnetic origin and a concomitant modification of the coupling between a phonon and the Higgs amplitude mode. Both the Raman features are characterized by a non-reciprocal hysteresis in magnetic field. Surprisingly, the observed phase transition does not affect the Raman scattering from the in-plane magnons, indicating that the dipolar antiferromagnetic order is preserved. This is consistent with the onset of a new quadrupolar field-controlled state, whose fluctuations structure can trigger an hybridization between the lattice and the magnetic Higgs mode resulting in the observed Raman features.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Ultrafast pump-probe phase-randomized tomography

Measuring fluctuations in matter's low energy excitations is the key to unveil the nature of the nonequilibrium response of materials. A promising outlook in this respect is offered by spectroscopic methods that address matter fluctuations by exploiting the statistical nature of light-matter interactions with weak few-photon probes. Here we report the first implementation of ultrafast phase randomized tomography, combining pump-probe experiments with quantum optical state tomography, to measure the ultrafast non-equilibrium dynamics in complex materials. Our approach utilizes a time-resolved multimode heterodyne detection scheme with phase-randomized coherent ultrashort laser pulses, overcoming the limitations of phase-stable configurations and enabling a robust reconstruction of the statistical distribution of phase-averaged optical observables. This methodology is validated by measuring the coherent phonon response in $α$-quartz. By tracking the dynamics of the shot-noise limited photon number distribution of few-photon probes with ultrafast resolution, our results set an upper limit to the non-classical features of phononic state in $α$-quartz and provide a pathway to access nonequilibrium quantum fluctuations in more complex quantum materials.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Multimode vibrational coupling across the insulator-to-metal transition in 1T-TaS$_{2}$ in THz cavities

The use of optical cavities on resonance with material excitations allows controlling light-matter interaction in both the regimes of weak and strong coupling. We study here the multimode vibrational coupling of low energy phonons in the charge-density-wave material 1T-TaS$_{2}$ across its insulator-to-metal phase transition. For this purpose, we embed 1T-TaS$_{2}$ into THz Fabry-Pérot cryogenic cavities tunable in frequency within the spectral range of the vibrational modes of the insulating phase and track the linear response of the coupled phonons across the insulator-to-metal transition. In the low temperature dielectric state, we reveal the signatures of a multimode vibrational strong collective coupling. The observed polariton modes inherit character from all the vibrational resonances as a consequence of the cavity-mediated hybridization. We reveal that the vibrational strong collective coupling is suppressed across the insulator-to-metal transition as a consequence of the phonon-screening induced by the free charges. Our findings emphasize how the response of cavity-coupled vibrations can be modified by the presence of free charges, uncovering a new direction toward the tuning of coherent light-matter interaction in cavity-confined correlated materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Upconversion of terahertz phonons in spin-ladder compounds via nonlinear coupling

We demonstrate dynamic control of the lattice by THz light by exploiting the coupling of phonon modes. The low-energy sliding phonon modes in the spin-ladder system, Sr$_{14}$Cu$_{24}$O$_{41}$, are excited using THz radiation with high electric fields. Due to the nonlinearities induced by the THz electric fields, the low-energy phonon mode couples to the higher energy, silent optical phonon modes at $\approx$ 1.17 THz. This indirect excitation of the silent phonon mode is reflected as an enhancement of the THz transmission near 1.17 THz. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to indirectly control inaccessible phonon modes with THz frequency electromagnetic radiation, which provides opportunities to alter such material systems' electronic and magnetic properties dynamically using THz radiation.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Cavity-mediated thermal control of metal-to-insulator transition in 1T-TaS$_{2}$

Placing quantum materials into optical cavities provides a unique platform for controlling quantum cooperative properties of matter, via both weak and strong light-matter coupling. Here we report the experimental evidence of reversible cavity control of a metal-to-insulator phase transition in a correlated solid-state material. We embed the charge density wave material 1T-TaS$_{2}$ into cryogenic tunable terahertz cavities and show that a switch between conductive and insulating behaviors, associated with a large change in the sample temperature, is obtained by mechanically tuning the distance between the cavity mirrors and their alignment. The large thermal modification observed is indicative of a Purcell-like scenario in which the spectral profile of the cavity modifies the energy exchange between the material and the external electromagnetic field. Our findings provide opportunities for controlling the thermodynamics and macroscopic transport properties of quantum materials by engineering their electromagnetic environment.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Tunable cryogenic THz cavity for strong light-matter coupling in complex materials

We report here the realization and commissioning of an experiment dedicated to the study of the optical properties of light matter hybrids constituted of crystalline samples embedded in an optical cavity. The experimental assembly developed offers the unique opportunity to study the weak and strong coupling regime between a tunable optical cavity in cryogenic environment and low energy degrees of freedom such as phonons, magnons or charge fluctuations. We describe here the setup developed which allows the positioning of crystalline samples in an optical cavity of different quality factor, the tuning of the cavity length at cryogenic temperatures and its optical characterization with a broadband time domain THz spectrometer (0.2-6 THz). We demonstrate the versatility of the setup by studying the vibrational strong coupling in CuGeO3 single crystal at cryogenic temperatures.

physics.ins-det↗