Nonlinear optical response induced by non-Abelian Berry curvature in time-reversal-invariant insulators

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework linking nonlinear optical responses in time-reversal-invariant insulators to non-Abelian Berry curvature, revealing topological contributions to third-order susceptibility.

Contribution

It introduces a general approach connecting nonlinear optical effects to non-Abelian Berry curvature, with specific calculations for III-V semiconductors showing topological influence.

Findings

Third-order optical response relates to Berry curvature flux.

Resonant excitation susceptibility proportional to Chern number.

Calculated susceptibility for III-V semiconductors shows Chern number of three.

Abstract

We propose a general framework of nonlinear optics induced by non-Abelian Berry curvature in time-reversal-invariant (TRI) insulators. We find that the third-order response of a TRI insulator under optical and terahertz light fields is directly related to the integration of the non-Abelian Berry curvature over the Brillouin zone. We apply the result to insulators with rotational symmetry near the band edge. Under resonant excitations, the optical susceptibility is proportional to the flux of the Berry curvature through the iso-energy surface, which is equal to the Chern number of the surface times $2\pi$. For the III-V compound semiconductors, microscopic calculations based on the six-band model give a third-order susceptibility with the Chern number of the iso-energy surface equal to three.