{
  "abstract": "Control of magnetic order through optical manipulation of orbital states can be realized in a wide range of materials, including insulators. In the latter case, electrons are excited into different electronic states, whose character may be a complex result of spin-orbit-lattice coupling. Here, we use a combination of polarization-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations to study excited Cr ³⁺ ions in bulk, insulating, antiferromagnetic CrCl ₃ . Our results demonstrate a temperature-dependent preferential polarization direction below ~17 K, which reorients in the presence of an applied in-plane magnetic field. Density functional theory calculations reveal a local distortion of the ligand field and the generation of out-of-plane spin and orbital moments, following the excitation of Cr ³⁺ ion. These changes link the photoluminescence polarization to the magnetic state of CrCl ₃ . Our findings provide insight into the electronic structure of excited-state Cr ³⁺ ions and suggest that CrCl ₃ is a promising candidate for opto-orbitronic applications.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 11,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Lanqing Zhou",
      "orcid": "0009-0003-6568-1492"
    },
    {
      "name": "Marjana Ležaić",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7318-9444"
    },
    {
      "name": "Yuriy Mokrousov",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1072-2421"
    },
    {
      "name": "Minh N. Bui"
    },
    {
      "name": "Renu Rani"
    },
    {
      "name": "Govind Ummethala"
    },
    {
      "name": "Amir H. Tavabi",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1551-885X"
    },
    {
      "name": "Tatiana E. Gorelik",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0911-2039"
    },
    {
      "name": "Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8082-0647"
    },
    {
      "name": "Detlev Grützmacher",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6290-9672"
    },
    {
      "name": "Beata E. Kardynał"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e3sprgq58j49e.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s42005-026-02943-7",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "e3sprgq58j49e",
  "issns": [
    "2399-3650"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s42005-026-02943-7",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s42005-026-02943-7.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-02",
  "publisher": "Springer Science and Business Media LLC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e3sprgq58j49e.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-03T00:21:03Z",
      "native_id": "10.1038/s42005-026-02943-7",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s42005-026-02943-7"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-03T03:20:35Z",
      "native_id": "10.1038/s42005-026-02943-7",
      "source": "feed-nature",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s42005-026-02943-7"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "journal-openalex:3107|Topological Materials and Phenomena",
      "subfield": "amo"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Photoluminescence from Cr3+ excited orbital states in magnetically ordered CrCl3",
  "title_text": "Photoluminescence from Cr3+ excited orbital states in magnetically ordered CrCl3",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-04T00:21:45Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e3sprgq58j49e",
  "venue": "Communications Physics",
  "versions": []
}