Magneto‐optic effect of two‐dimensional materials and related applications

Abstract

Magneto‐optic effect is attracting wide interest as it renders a contactless, potentially power‐free, highly sensitive and spatio‐temporal resolved way in both magnetic material characterization and light manipulation. Intensive explorations exhibit its potential in diverse applications such as optical communication, data storage, phase modulator, optical isolator, and magnetic‐field sensor. Noteworthy, atomically thin two‐dimensional (2D) materials represented by graphene demonstrate the interplay of large shape anisotropy as well as anisotropy in optical and magnetic properties, providing unlimited possibilities for the development of magneto‐optic effect and related applications. Here, we initiate the review with brief summary of the development history of magneto‐optic effect in parallel with the introduction of several typical 2D materials with unique magnetic properties. Thereafter, four important magneto‐optic effects of 2D materials are discussed, including Faraday effect, magneto‐optic Kerr effect, Zeeman effect and Cotton‐Mouton effect. Finally, we refine major challenges in further development of magneto‐optic effects and put forward prospects for several promising candidates of 2D magneto‐optic materials and related applications.

Chiral Phonons and Giant Magneto‐Optical Effect in CrBr3 2D Magnet

“…It is known that an external magnetic field breaks the time‐reversal symmetry in non‐magnetic materials, [ 9,10 ] leading to magneto‐optical Faraday and Kerr rotation effects. [ 11,12 ] Giant magneto‐optical Raman effects have also been observed in non‐magnetic InSe [ 13 ] and MoS 2 .…”

A 2D material–based transparent hydrogel with engineerable interference colours

“…As a result, the condition for the realization of transmitted interference colour, namely, 4nL > 400 nm cannot be satisfied in these systems according to the well-known Michel-Lévy chart. Considering the interplay between the shape anisotropy and optical/ magnetic anisotropy 18,[29][30][31][32] , magnetic two-dimensional (2D) materials with a wide optical bandgap offer excellent prospects for realization of a transparent hydrogel with engineerable interference colours, as their shape anisotropy shows two or three orders of magnitude larger than those of other dimensional systems.…”

Up‐And‐Coming Advances in Optical and Microwave Nonreciprocity: From Classical to Quantum Realm

“…[ 133,139,192 ] The examples of magnetic materials that do exist in the 2D phase and attract a lot of interest are CrI 3 , [ 193 ] Fe 3 GeTe 2 , [ 194 ] CrGeTe 3 , Cr 2 Ge 2 Te 6 , [ 195 ] and FePS 3 . [ 133 ] An extensive review of magneto‐optic effects in 2D materials and related applications can be found in the study by Lan et al [ 196 ] Note that magnetic 2D materials are used either by themselves for a magneto‐optical response or in pair with other 2D or quasi 2D materials. For example, Figure 3d shows a heterostructure formed by an ultrathin ferromagnetic semiconductor CrI 3 and a monolayer of WSe 2 .…”