Magnetooptic coupling coefficients for one- and two-magnon Raman scattering in rutile-structure antiferromagnets FeF2, MnF2, CoF2, and NiF2

Inelastic light scattering intensities in response to magnetic excitations are governed by magnetooptic coupling coefficients, which have been previously evaluated, for instance, for the ferrimagnetic Y3Fe5O12 (YIG) and the metamagnetic FeCl2 and FeBr2. However, by far the most detailed studies to date were performed on the classic rutile-structure antiferromagnets, and here we summarize the results obtained from the many experimental and theoretical investigations of these compounds for both one-magnon and two-magnon excitations. A comparison of the magnitudes of the various coupling coefficients for MnF2, FeF2, CoF2, and NiF2 reveals a surprising similarity in many coefficients. In one-magnon Raman scattering the in-phase linear magnetooptic coefficient dominates, and the main differences between MnF2, FeF2, and NiF2 lie in the relative significance of the in-phase quadratic magnetooptic coefficient. Thus, the quadratic coefficients now appear to be of particular importance in determining the strength of one-magnon scattering in a variety of magnetic insulators. In two-magnon Raman scattering one magnetooptic coefficient is dominant for all of these antiferromagnets. However, the other six coefficients are in general remarkably similar in magnitude and not negligible in most cases, indicating some similarity in the way light interacts with the pairs of magnons of opposite and equal wave vectors in rutile structure antiferromagnets. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4733682]