Inverse acoustic Faraday effect in single molecule magnets

Abstract

A theoretical study into the effect of stationary magnetization induced in a paramagnetic medium by propagation of a circularly-polarized acoustic wave is reported. We termed this magnetoacoustic phenomenon “the inverse acoustic Faraday effect” for its obvious similarity to the inverse Faraday effect in electrodynamics (magnetooptics, in particular). A phenomenological relation is established between the inverse acoustic Faraday effect and the paramagnetic acoustic Faraday rotation widely known as the acoustic Faraday effect. This relation is demonstrated for single molecule magnets. We estimated the magnetization induced by the inverse acoustic Faraday effect in single molecule magnets Mn12–Ac, for the case of a hypersonic wave. This value proved sufficient for the effect to be observed experimentally.