7 February 2024 | Federico Mazzola, Wojciech Brzezicki, Maria Teresa Mercaldo, Anita Guarino, Chiara Bigi, Jill A. Miwa, Domenico De Fazio, Alberto Crepaldi, Jun Fujii, Giorgio Rossi, Pasquale Orgiani, Sandeep Kumar Chaluvadi, Shyhi Punathum Chali, Giancarlo Panaccione, Anupam Jana, Vincent Polewczyk, Ivana Vobornik, Changyoung Kim, Fabio Miletto-Granozio, Rosalba Fittipaldi, Carmine Ortix, Mario Cuoco, Antonio Vecchione
The article explores the detection of non-standard forms of magnetism with chiral electronic ordering, which are difficult to observe experimentally. The authors develop a theory for symmetry-broken chiral ground states and propose a methodology based on circularly polarized, spin-selective, angular-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (CP-spin-ARPES) to study these states. Using the quantum material Sr2RuO4 as a model, they reveal spectroscopic signatures that, despite being subtle, can be reconciled with the formation of spin-orbital chiral currents at the surface of the material. The findings provide a deeper understanding of ordering phenomena and unconventional magnetism. The study highlights the importance of combining circular dichroism and spin-selective photoemission to investigate the relationship between crystal symmetries, electron correlations, and electronic structure in unconventional phases of matter.The article explores the detection of non-standard forms of magnetism with chiral electronic ordering, which are difficult to observe experimentally. The authors develop a theory for symmetry-broken chiral ground states and propose a methodology based on circularly polarized, spin-selective, angular-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (CP-spin-ARPES) to study these states. Using the quantum material Sr2RuO4 as a model, they reveal spectroscopic signatures that, despite being subtle, can be reconciled with the formation of spin-orbital chiral currents at the surface of the material. The findings provide a deeper understanding of ordering phenomena and unconventional magnetism. The study highlights the importance of combining circular dichroism and spin-selective photoemission to investigate the relationship between crystal symmetries, electron correlations, and electronic structure in unconventional phases of matter.