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Electromagnetic wave propagation in the uniaxial antiferromagnetic crystals FeF 2 , CoF 2 , and MnF 2
Author(s) -
Brandmüller J.,
Lehmeyer A.,
Häussler K. M.,
Merten L.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
physica status solidi (b)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1521-3951
pISSN - 0370-1972
DOI - 10.1002/pssb.2221170135
Subject(s) - antiferromagnetism , polarization (electrochemistry) , condensed matter physics , physics , limiting , tensor (intrinsic definition) , dispersion relation , refractive index , magneto , mathematics , quantum mechanics , chemistry , geometry , mechanical engineering , engineering , power (physics)
In the most general form the matter equations of electrodynamics contain the magneto‐electric tensor in addition to the electric and magnetic permeability tensor. By group‐theoretical methods, however, it is shown that for crystals belonging to the magnetic point group 4′/mmm′ the magneto‐electric tensor vanishes. Important examples for this point group are the antiferromagnets FeF 2 , CoF 2 , and MnF 2 . Regarding this essential simplification a generalized Fresnel's equation of the wave normals is derived for these antiferromagnetic crystals. The Fresnel's equation has two solutions describing the magnitudinal and directional dispersion of the refractive index for the two corresponding waves. The limiting cases of these two solutions agree with results already known from literature. Besides, the polarization of both waves is determined.