Equilibrium circular photogalvanic effect in a hybrid superconductor-semiconductor system

TL;DR

This paper explores an equilibrium circular photogalvanic effect in a hybrid superconductor-semiconductor system, where circularly polarized light induces a dc current without creating real electron-hole pairs, akin to the Meissner effect.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of an equilibrium circular photogalvanic effect in hybrid systems, highlighting its potential for applications involving cavity photons and superconducting circuits.

Findings

Induction of dc current by circularly polarized light below interband transition energy

Analogy to the Meissner effect in static magnetic fields

Potential applications in quantum circuits

Abstract

A dc electric current can be induced in a hybrid semiconductor-superconductor system under illumination it by a circularly polarized light with the frequency below the energy of semiconductor interband transitions. In conditions when the light beam is unable to create real electron-hole excitations, this phenomenon is reminiscent of the Meissner effect in the static magnetic field. Such an effect can be employed in systems combining cavity photons and superconducting quantum circuits.