Optically induced magnetic polarons in EuTe

Abstract

Direct measurements of the photoinduced magnetization in EuTe, using a two color pump-and-probe technique, are presented. The photoinduced effect was pumped using photons of above-the-bandgap energy, and detected by the Faraday rotation of a probe beam of energy below-the-bandgap. The photoinduced Faraday rotation changes sign, as expected from our model for the optically induced magnetic polaron. The EuTe spin-flop transition at low fields is also detected as a sharp step in the photoinduced Faraday rotation, and its observation provides additional supports for the photoinduced polaron model.