Topological properties in ABA trilayer graphene under the irradiation of light*

Abstract

We study ABA trilayer graphene under irradiation of a circularly polarized light. In high-frequency regime, the effective low-energy Hamiltonian is obtained based on the Floquet theory. With increasing circularly polarized light intensity, the band structure shows a band gap closing and reopening, which happen twice. The process of the band gap closing and reopening is accompanied with a topological phase transition. We investigate the Chern numbers and the anomalous Hall conductivities to confirm the topological phase transition. The interplay between light-induced circularity-dependent effective potential and effective sublattice potential is discussed.