Microwave-induced inverse Faraday effect in superconductors

TL;DR

This paper proposes a theoretical model for the inverse Faraday effect in superconductors, predicting microwave-induced magnetization and nonlinear phenomena, with potential applications in superconducting gyrotropy and flux dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a classical model linking the inverse Faraday effect to superconducting conductivity, highlighting microwave-induced gyroelectric effects and novel birefringence phenomena in superconductors.

Findings

Superconducting gyration coefficient expressed via complex conductivity.

Prediction of microwave-induced Hall effect and flux quantization.

Identification of unique microwave birefringence due to superelectron response.

Abstract

Inverse Faraday effect (IFE) in superconductors is proposed, where a static magnetization is generated under the influence of a circularly polarized microwave field. Classical modeling of the IFE explicitly provides superconducting gyration coefficient in terms of its complex conductivity. IFE is then considered as a source of nonlinearity and gyrotropy even at a low-power microwave regime giving rise to a spectrum of phenomena and applications. Microwave-induced gyroelectric conductivity, Hall effect, microwave birefringence, flux quantization and vortex state are predicted and quantitatively analyzed. Peculiar microwave birefringence in gyrotropic superconductors due to radical response of superelectrons has been highlighted.