New publications
The possibility to employ semiconductors in spintronics has long fascinated scientists and engineers, as it would allow to merge the beneficial electronics transport properties of semiconductors with spin manipulations concept. In two papers published back-to-back ([1], [2]) we consider this scenario for MnTe, an antiferromagnetic semiconductor ordered above room temperature. The coupling between spins, lattice and charge dynamics is discussed both theoretically and experimentally. We demonstrate that a specific photo-driven lattice mode couples to both spins and charges, as it drives incoherent ultrafast spin dynamics and a 5 THz coherent modulation of the band-gap simultaneously. Therefore it is expected that a strong resonant pumping of lattice modes in this and other semiconductors, can induce nonlinear regimes of charge and spin dynamics, in which these two degrees of freedom may even be coupled.