Photon Drag Effect due to Berry Curvature

Area of Science:

• Condensed matter physics
• Quantum optics
• Materials science

Background:

• The photon drag effect (PDE) describes the transfer of momentum from photons to charge carriers in a material.
• Previous studies on PDE have primarily focused on simpler material geometries and effects.
• Understanding novel mechanisms for inducing and controlling PDE is crucial for optoelectronic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically investigate the induction of the photon drag effect in a deformed grating slab.
• To explore the role of Berry curvature in phase space in driving the PDE.
• To analyze the momentum-space characteristics of the induced PDE signals.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical modeling of light-matter interaction in a deformed grating slab.
• Inclusion of Berry curvature effects in the phase space analysis.
• Calculation of momentum-space asymmetry and signal magnitude.

Main Results:

• The photon drag effect is theoretically shown to be induced by Berry curvature in a deformed grating slab.
• The interaction leads to asymmetric photon drag signals in momentum space.
• Significant PDE signals are observed even in close proximity to the Γ point.

Conclusions:

• Berry curvature in phase space is a key mechanism for inducing PDE in deformed grating structures.
• The observed asymmetry and proximity of large signals to the Γ point are consistent with theoretical predictions.
• This work provides a theoretical foundation for exploring novel optoelectronic phenomena in structured materials.