Fluctuation and localization of the nonlinear Hall effect on a disordered lattice

Abstract

The nonlinear Hall effect has recently attracted significant interest due to its potentials as a promising spectral tool and device applications. A theory of the nonlinear Hall effect on a disordered lattice is a crucial step towards explorations in realistic devices, but has not been addressed. We study the nonlinear Hall response on a lattice, which allows us to introduce disorder numerically and reveal a mechanism that was not discovered in the previous momentum-space theories. In the mechanism, disorder induces an increasing fluctuation of the nonlinear Hall conductance as the Fermi energy moves from the band edges to higher energies. This fluctuation is a surprise, because it is opposite to the disorder-free distribution of the Berry curvature. More importantly, the fluctuation may explain those unexpected observations in the recent experiments. We also discover an "Anderson localization" of the nonlinear Hall effect. This work shows an emergent territory of the nonlinear Hall effect yet to be explored