We report on the optical properties from terahertz (THz) to Near-Infrared (NIR) of the layered magnetic compound CrI3 at various temperatures, both in the paramagnetic and ferromagnetic phase. In the NIR spectral range, we observe an insulating electronic gap around 1.1 eV which strongly hardens with decreasing temperature. The blue shift observed represents a record in insulating materials and it is a fingerprint of a strong electron-phonon interaction. Moreover, a further gap hardening is observed below the Curie temperature, indicating the establishment of an effective interaction between electrons and magnetic degrees of freedom in the ferromagnetic phase. Similar interactions are confirmed by the disappearance of some phonon modes in the same phase, as expected from a spin-lattice interaction theory. Therefore, the optical properties of CrI3 reveal a complex interaction among electronic, phononic and magnetic degrees of freedom, opening many possibilities for its use in 2-Dimensional heterostructures.

We report on the electrodynamics of MnBi2Te4 thin films, an intrinsic magnetic topological material. We study its optical conductivity from terahertz (THz) to ultraviolet (UV) frequencies as a function of the film thickness, highlighting the presence of surface topological states superimposed on the bulk electrodynamics response. For the thinnest film, where the charge transport is dominated by Dirac surface states, we investigate the effect of the phase transition from the high-temperature topological protected state to the low-temperature magnetic (time-reversal broken) state by measuring the optical conductivity across the Néel temperature. At low temperatures, the breaking of the time reversal symmetry affects the optical conductivity, indicating that a magnetic-induced gap opens below TN.

Human exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and their presence in indoor and working environments is recognized as a serious health risk, causing impairments of varying severities. Different detecting systems able to monitor VOCs are available in the market; however, they have significant limitations for both sensitivity and chemical discrimination capability. During the last years we studied systematically the use of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as an alternative, powerful tool for quantifying VOCs in air. We calibrated the method for a set of compounds (styrene, acetone, ethanol and isopropanol) by using both laboratory and portable infrared spectrometers. The aim was to develop a new, and highly sensitive sensor system for VOCs monitoring. In this paper, we improved the setup performance, testing the feasibility of using a multipass cell with the aim of extending the sensitivity of our system down to the part per million (ppm) level. Considering that multipass cells are now also available for portable instruments, this study opens the road for the design of new high-resolution devices for environmental monitoring.

Nonlinear optical spectroscopy is a fundamental probe for the investigation of topological effects in quantum materials. In this paper, we report on the terahertz (THz) emission from thin films at various thicknesses of the magnetic topological nodal semimetal Co2MnGa (CMG) when excited by femtosecond optical pulses. Experimental results suggest the presence of multiple THz generation mechanisms, originating from both bulk and surface states of CMG. The former is explained in terms of a photon-drag effect as induced by radiation pressure. The latter emission mechanism instead appears to be related to the photovoltaic effect coming from the topological surface states. This interplay between generation mechanisms indicates that Co2MnGa topological nodal semimetals are a valuable platform for THz emitter devices.

We report on the optical properties from terahertz (THz) to Near-Infrared (NIR) of the layered magnetic compound CrI3 at various temperatures, both in the para- magnetic and ferromagnetic phase. In the NIR spectral range, we have observed an insulating electronic gap around 1.1 eV which strongly hardens with decreasing temperature. The blue shift observed represents a record in insulating materials and it is a fingerprint of a strong electron-phonon interaction. Moreover, a further gap hardening is observed below the Curie temperature, indicating the establishment of an effective interaction between electrons and magnetic degrees of freedom in the ferromagnetic phase. This interaction is confirmed by the disappearance of some phonon modes in the same phase as expected from a spin-lattice interaction theory. Therefore, the optical properties of CrI3 reveal a complex interaction among electronic, phononic and magnetic degrees of freedom, opening many possibilities for its use in 2-Dimensional heterostructures.