IFJ PAN Physicists Model Oscillations In Laser-Excited Cobalt Oxide Useful In Devices

Despite its deceptively simple Co₃O₄ chemical formula, cobalt oxide’s crystal lattice comprises 56 atoms, 24 cobalt and 32 oxygen, revealing a surprisingly complex structure that researchers are now probing with laser light . An international team, including physicists from the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN), has observed Jahn, Teller polarons within the material, quasiparticles that could be crucial for developing future ultrafast spintronic devices. The observation occurred when orange light was used to excite the cobalt oxide crystal, unexpectedly causing the emission of blue radiation, a visual signal of emerging lattice vibrations. Red light revealed markedly different behavior and was linked to Raman-active phonons. Przemyslaw Piekarz, professor at the IFJ PAN, described the team’s ability to determine the nature of these coherent vibrations as reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.