Symmetry and Quantum Kinetics of the Non-linear Hall Effect

We argue that the static non-linear Hall conductivity can always be represented as a vector in two-dimensions and as a pseudo-tensor in three-dimensions independent of its microscopic origin. In a single band model with a constant relaxation rate this vector or tensor is proportional to the Berry curvature dipole \cite{Sodemann_2015}. Here, we develop a quantum Boltzmann formalism to second order in electric fields. We find that in addition to the Berry Curvature Dipole term, there exist additional disorder mediated corrections to the non-linear Hall tensor that have the same scaling in impurity scattering rate. These can be thought of as the non-linear counterparts to the side-jump and skew-scattering corrections to the Hall conductivity in the linear regime. We illustrate our formalism by computing the different contributions to the non-linear Hall conductivity of two-dimensional tilted Dirac fermions.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, Phys Rev. B versio

Theoretical investigations on Kerr and Faraday rotations in topological multi-Weyl Semimetals

Motivated by the recent proposal of giant Kerr rotation in WSMs, we investigate the Kerr and Faraday rotations in time-reversal broken multi-Weyl semimetals (mWSMs) in the absence of an external magnetic field. Using the framework of Kubo response theory, we find that both the longitudinal and transverse components of the optical conductivity in mWSMs are modified by the topological charge ($n$). Engendered by the optical Hall conductivity, we show in the thin film limit that, while the giant Kerr rotation and corresponding ellipticity are independent of $n$, the Faraday rotation and its ellipticity angle scale as $n$ and $n^2$, respectively. In contrast, the polarization rotation in semi-infinite mWSMs is dominated by the axion field showing $n$ dependence. In particular, the magnitude of Kerr (Faraday) angle decreases (increases) with increasing $n$ in Faraday geometry, whereas in Voigt geometry, it depicts different $n$-dependencies in different frequency regimes. The obtained results on the behavior of polarization rotations in mWSMs could be used in experiments as a probe to distinguish single, double, and triple WSMs, as well as discriminate the surfaces of mWSMs with and without hosting Fermi arcs.Comment: 12 Pages, 5 Figures, Submission to SciPos

Signature of nodal topology in nonlinear quantum transport across junctions in Weyl and multi-Weyl semimetals

We investigate quantum transport through a rectangular potential barrier in Weyl semimetals (WSMs) and multi-Weyl semimetals (MSMs), within the framework of Landauer-B\"uttiker formalism. Our study uncovers the role of nodal topology imprinted in the electric current and the shot noise. We find that, in contrast to the finite odd-order conductance and noise power, the even-order contributions vanish at the nodes. Additionally, depending on the topological charge ($J$), the linear conductance ($G_1$) scales with the Fermi energy ($E_F$) as $G_1^{E_F>U}\propto E_F^{2/J}$. We demonstrate that the $E_F$-dependence of the second-order conductance and shot noise power could quite remarkably distinguish an MSM from a WSM depending on the band topology, and may induce several smoking gun experiments in nanostructures made out of WSMs and MSMs. Analyzing shot noise and Fano factor, we show that the transport across the rectangular barrier follows the sub-Poissonian statistics. Interestingly, we obtain universal values of Fano factor at the nodes unique to their topological charges. The universality for a fixed $J$, however, indicates that only a fixed number of open channels participate in the transport through evanescent waves at the nodes. The proposed results can serve as a potential diagnostic tool to identify different topological systems in experiments.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure