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Chiral terahertz wave emission from the Weyl semimetal TaAs

Author

Listed:
  • Y. Gao

    (University of Electronic Science and Technology of China)

  • S. Kaushik

    (Stony Brook University)

  • E. J. Philip

    (Stony Brook University)

  • Z. Li

    (Beijing Key Laboratory of Quantum Devices, Peking University
    Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Y. Qin

    (University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
    University of Electronic Science and Technology of China)

  • Y. P. Liu

    (Fudan University)

  • W. L. Zhang

    (University of Electronic Science and Technology of China)

  • Y. L. Su

    (University of Electronic Science and Technology of China)

  • X. Chen

    (Stony Brook University)

  • H. Weng

    (Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory)

  • D. E. Kharzeev

    (Stony Brook University
    Brookhaven National Laboratory
    Brookhaven National Laboratory)

  • M. K. Liu

    (Stony Brook University)

  • J. Qi

    (University of Electronic Science and Technology of China)

Abstract

Weyl semimetals host chiral fermions with distinct chiralities and spin textures. Optical excitations involving those chiral fermions can induce exotic carrier responses, and in turn lead to novel optical phenomena. Here, we discover strong coherent terahertz emission from Weyl semimetal TaAs, which is demonstrated as a unique broadband source of the chiral terahertz wave. The polarization control of the THz emission is achieved by tuning photoexcitation of ultrafast photocurrents via the photogalvanic effect. In the near-infrared regime, the photon-energy dependent nonthermal current due to the predominant circular photogalvanic effect can be attributed to the radical change of the band velocities when the chiral Weyl fermions are excited during selective optical transitions between the tilted anisotropic Weyl cones and the massive bulk bands. Our findings provide a design concept for creating chiral photon sources using quantum materials and open up new opportunities for developing ultrafast opto-electronics using Weyl physics.

Suggested Citation

  • Y. Gao & S. Kaushik & E. J. Philip & Z. Li & Y. Qin & Y. P. Liu & W. L. Zhang & Y. L. Su & X. Chen & H. Weng & D. E. Kharzeev & M. K. Liu & J. Qi, 2020. "Chiral terahertz wave emission from the Weyl semimetal TaAs," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-14463-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14463-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhongqiang Chen & Hongsong Qiu & Xinjuan Cheng & Jizhe Cui & Zuanming Jin & Da Tian & Xu Zhang & Kankan Xu & Ruxin Liu & Wei Niu & Liqi Zhou & Tianyu Qiu & Yequan Chen & Caihong Zhang & Xiaoxiang Xi &, 2024. "Defect-induced helicity dependent terahertz emission in Dirac semimetal PtTe2 thin films," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Yang-Yang Lv & Jinlong Xu & Shuang Han & Chi Zhang & Yadong Han & Jian Zhou & Shu-Hua Yao & Xiao-Ping Liu & Ming-Hui Lu & Hongming Weng & Zhenda Xie & Y. B. Chen & Jianbo Hu & Yan-Feng Chen & Shining , 2021. "High-harmonic generation in Weyl semimetal β-WP2 crystals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.

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