Circular dichroism in nonlinear topological Weyl semimetals

Abstract

Abstract In recent years, the field of topological photonics has emerged as a promising area of research due to its potential for the development of new photonic devices with unique properties. Topological Weyl semimetals (TWSs), which are characterized by the presence of Weyl points in their electronic band structure, are one such example of a material with interesting topological properties. In this study, Kerr and Faraday rotations were used to determine the nonlinear characteristics of TWSs. We focused on surfaces where no Fermi arcs are involved, so that Maxwell’s equations would contain some peculiar topological terms. In Weyl semimetals with a specific topology, the distance between Weyl nodes aligned along the z-direction functions as a magnet. This results in a significant polar Kerr/Faraday rotation effect that is proportional to the separation distance, when light is directed onto the surface of the TWS that lacks Fermi arc states. Conversely, when the light is directed onto a surface with Fermi arc states, the Voigt effect is quadratically proportional to the separation distance. We considered electromagnetic wave propagation in a nonlinear Kerr-type medium. We have derived and solved the linear and nonlinear Helmholtz equations for TWSs using the tanh method. Our findings reveal that wave solutions could have some potentially significant implications for the design and optimization of photonic devices based on TWSs.