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Magnetic Signature of Chiral Phonons Revealed by Neutron Spectroscopy in Ferrimagnetic Fe1.75Zn0.25Mo3O8

Song Bao1,2,*,†, Junbo Liao1,*, Zhentao Huang1,3,4,*, Yanyan Shangguan1, Zhen Ma5, Bo Zhang1, Shufan Cheng1, Hao Xu1, Zihang Song1 et al.

Shuai Dong1, Maofeng Wu1, Ryoichi Kajimoto6, Mitsutaka Nakamura6, Tom Fennell7, Dmitry Khalyavin8, and Jinsheng Wen1,2,‡

  • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • †Contact author: songbao@nju.edu.cn
  • ‡Contact author: jwen@nju.edu.cn

Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 096502 – Published 2 March, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/pq5m-32wj

Abstract

Lattice vibrations can carry angular momentum and magnetic moments under broken inversion or time-reversal symmetry, forming so-called chiral phonons. While such excitations have been explored in nonmagnetic systems via optical probes, their direct detection in magnetic materials and coupling to spin excitations remain largely unexplored. Here, using neutron spectroscopy, sensitive to both nuclear and magnetic scattering, we reveal the magnetic signature of chiral phonons in ferrimagnetic Fe1.75Zn0.25Mo3O8 with Curie temperature TC∼49  K. Below TC, we observe enhanced magnetic scattering of phonons at small momenta, arising from strong magnon-phonon coupling. In addition, out-of-plane intensity modulation, phonon mode splitting, and field-induced Zeeman shifts are observed, all closely associated with the ferrimagnetic order. These features vanish above TC, where phonon spectra are dominated by nuclear scattering. These observations demonstrate the existence of chiral phonons carrying substantial magnetic moments that directly contribute to magnetic scattering, and establish neutron spectroscopy as a powerful, momentum-resolved probe of their magnetic character.

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Viewpoint

Neutrons Illuminate the Magnetic Dance of Chiral Phonons

Published 2 March, 2026

Neutron scattering has provided a new and broader view of the twirling collective atomic vibrations in a magnetic crystal.

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