• Accepted Paper

Colossal terahertz magnetoresistance from magnetic polarons in EuZn2P2

E. Marulanda, M. Dutra, N. M. Kawahala, E. D. Stefanato, G. G. Vasques, J. Munevar, M. A. Avila, and F. G. G. Hernandez

Phys. Rev. Lett. - Accepted 9 November, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/dlh5-6ffv

Abstract

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 EuZn2P2. 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.

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