Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation

    Temperature-invariant magneto-optical Kerr effect in noncollinear antiferromagnet

    Camron Farhang1,*, Weihang Lu1,*, Yuchuan Yao2, Pratap Pal2, Shaofeng Han1, Jian-Guo Zheng3, Hua Chen4,5, Chang-Beom Eom2, and Jing Xia1,†

    • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
    • †Contact author: xia.jing@uci.edu

    Phys. Rev. Materials 10, 074407 – Published 16 July, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/wmh3-qf3k

    Abstract

    Noncollinear antiferromagnets exhibit anomalous Hall and magneto-optical Kerr effects driven by Berry curvature despite negligible net magnetization, promising ultrafast spintronic applications. While both effects are theoretically expected to reveal the intrinsic Berry curvature that serves as a spintronic memory bit, their quantitative interpretation is complicated by additional temperature-dependent contributions superimposed on the magnetic order parameter: extrinsic skew scattering in dc Hall transport, and optical-resonance effects in visible-wavelength Kerr measurements. Here we perform polar Kerr measurements at the infrared telecommunication wavelength (1550 nm) on epitaxial, stoichiometric Mn3NiN single-crystal films, revealing a spontaneous Kerr signal that remains stable within a few percent over a 200 K range below the Néel temperature. This temperature-invariant intrinsic Kerr response contrasts with the strongly temperature-dependent anomalous Hall effect in the same sample dominated by extrinsic skew scattering. Our findings establish infrared Kerr effect as a robust, local probe of Berry curvature in noncollinear antiferromagnets, enabling quantitative characterization and advancing antiferromagnetic spintronic technologies.

    Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

    Authorization Required

    We need you to provide your credentials before accessing this content.

    Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

    References (Subscription Required)

    Outline

    Information

    Sign In to Your Journals Account

    Filter

    Filter

    Article Lookup

    Enter a citation