Abstract:
A new interpretation of light-induced magnetization changes of a magnetic semiconductor, manganese arsenide (MnAs), observed by the authors of references [1,2], is proposed in this paper. Contrary to references [1,2], where the results of experiments were interpreted as the observation of light-induced phase transition, here we propose a completely different approach. It suggests that at least far from the vicinity of T c, there are no real magnetization changes as in case of phase transition, but there are changes of the magnetic flux threading the MnAs-sample. These changes are due to non-equilibrium light-induced diamagnetic moments of quasi-free electrons of narrow d-subbands of the MnAs-conduction band. The other aspects of the experiments of [1,2] are also discussed and some similarity between this effect and the orbital diamgnetism due to persistent currents in mesoscopic structures is emphasised.
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Received 7 November 2000
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Tralle, I. On the nonequilibrium light-induced diamagnetism. Eur. Phys. J. B 22, 3–10 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00011132
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00011132