The room-temperature optical properties and the influence of light on the magnetic spin dynamics of ${\mathrm{EuZn}}_2{\mathrm{P}}_2$ are studied. Temperature-dependent electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements reveal that spin-spin interactions predominantly govern the spin relaxation mechanisms, as evidenced by the linewidth behavior ($\mathrm{\Delta }H$), whereas positive $g$ shifts ($\mathrm{\Delta }g)$ for $H\parallel ab$ indicate the presence of local electron polarization. The ESR data support the formation of anisotropic magnetic polarons, which trap spin carriers and contribute to increased electrical resistance. Angular-dependent ESR spectra at room temperature display anisotropic behavior in both $\mathrm{\Delta }g\left(\varphi \right)$ and $\mathrm{\Delta }H\left(\varphi \right)$, with a dominant three-dimensional component $C_{3\mathrm{D}}$, indicative of robust interlayer coupling and antiferromagnetic fluctuations. Under the influence of visible light, subtle linewidth broadening and enhanced ESR intensity indicate that photoexcited carriers influence the magnetic relaxation, suggesting a light-induced magnetic response possibly associated with a photomagnetic effect. Electrical transport measurements demonstrate a reproducible photovoltaic effect with a responsivity of $3.78\times {10}^{-3}$ A/W and detectivity of ${10}^{11}$ Jones, comparable to several known intermetallic and semiconductor photodetectors. These findings establish ${\mathrm{EuZn}}_2{\mathrm{P}}_2$ as an excellent platform among Zintl-type antiferromagnets to study the coupling between light matter and suggesting the presence of a possible photomagnetic effect.

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• Light-induced magnetic effects
• Photocurrent
• Polarons
• Spin dynamics