Dielectric Tensor of CrSBr from Spectroscopic Imaging Ellipsometry

Abstract: Chromium sulfur bromide (CrSBr) is a magnetic van der Waals semiconductor with a direct bandgap and pronounced anisotropy in its electronic, optical, spin and lattice degrees of freedom. Here, we employ spectroscopic imaging ellipsometry (SIE) and Mueller-matrix analysis to determine the full dielectric tensor of paramagnetic CrSBr thin films. Our measurements reveal optical anisotropy, characterized by three distinct diagonal components of the dielectric tensor. The in-plane elements are dominated by prominent excitonic resonances polarized along the two main crystallographic axes. Two main excitonic bands (A and B excitons) centered around 1.3eV and 1.7eV, respectively, are identified; the A-exciton polarized along the b-crystallographic direction, whereas the B-exciton appears to consist of two nearly degenerate contributions polarized along two orthogonal in-plane crystal axes. These results provide fundamental insight into anisotropic light-matter interactions in CrSBr, relevant for future spin-optoelectronic and photonic applications.