Current-induced second harmonic generation in inversion-symmetric Dirac and Weyl semimetals

Abstract

Topological materials have gained attention as a platform to explore novel nonlinear optical responses. To date, this research has largely focused on acentric materials, leaving the inversion-symmetric systems largely unexplored. In this work, the authors demonstrate that inversion-symmetric topological semimetals show perturbatively divergent second-harmonic generation when a finite current is applied. Because the response is both large and highly controllable, it can be used to investigate the nonequilibrium physics of topological materials and design future optical devices.

Topics & Concepts