Cavity induced chiral edge currents and spontaneous magnetization in two-dimensional electron systems

TL;DR

This paper explores how a gyrotropic cavity induces spontaneous magnetization and chiral edge currents in a two-dimensional electron gas, revealing size-dependent effects and potential for quantum electrodynamic material engineering.

Contribution

It demonstrates the emergence of magnetization and chiral edge currents due to cavity-induced mode splitting in 2DEG, with analysis of size dependence for different confining potentials.

Findings

Ground state spontaneous magnetization observed

Chiral edge currents depend on system size

Distinct size dependence for paramagnetic and diamagnetic contributions

Abstract

We consider a laterally confined two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG), placed inside a gyrotropic cavity. Splitting of the circularly polarized electromagnetic modes leads to the emergence of the ground state spontaneous magnetization, anomalous Hall effect and chiral edge currents in 2DEG. We examine the dependence of the magnetization and edge current density on the system size for two particular cases of the confining potential: infinite wall and parabolic potentials. We show that paramagnetic and diamagnetic contributions to the edge currents have qualitatively different dependence on the system size. These findings pave the route to the design quantum electrodynamic engineering of the material properties of the mesoscopic electron systems.