Converting Faraday rotation into magnetization in europium chalcogenides

We present a simple semiclassical model to sustain that in europium chalcogenides (EuX), Faraday rotation (FR) in the transparency gap is proportional to the magnetization of the sample, irrespective of the material’s magnetic phase, temperature, or applied magnetic field. The model is validated by FR and magnetization measurements in EuSe in the temperature interval 1.7–300 K, covering all EuSe magnetic phases (paramagnetic, antiferromagnetic type I or type II, ferrimagnetic, and ferromagnetic). Furthermore, by combining the semiclassical model with the explicit electronic energy structure of EuX, the proportionality coefficient between magnetization and FR is shown to be dependent only on the wavelength and the bandgap. Due to its simplicity, the model has didactic value; moreover, it provides a working tool for converting FR into magnetization in EuX. The possible extension of the model to other intrinsic magnetic semiconductors is discussed.