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Updated: Dec 31, 2025

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Published on: June 28, 2016
Berry Phase of Phonons and Thermal Hall Effect in Nonmagnetic Insulators
Takuma Saito1, Kou Misaki1, Hiroaki Ishizuka1
1Department of Applied Physics, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
Abstract:
A mechanism for the phonon Hall effect (PHE) in nonmagnetic insulators under an external magnetic field is theoretically studied. PHE is known in (para)magnetic compounds, where the magnetic moments and spin-orbit interaction play an essential role. In sharp contrast, we here discuss that the PHE also occurs in nonmagnetic band insulators subject to the magnetic field. We find that a correction to the Born-Oppenheimer approximation gives rise to a Raman-type interaction between the magnetic field and the phonons; this interaction gives rise to the Berry curvature of a phonon band. This Berry curvature results in the finite thermal Hall conductivity κ_{H} in nonmagnetic band insulators. The value of κ_{H} is calculated for square and honeycomb lattices. The order of the magnitude estimation for κ_{H} is given for Si at room temperature.
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