Interlayer electric multipoles induced by in-plane field from quantum geometric origins

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that in-plane electric fields can induce interlayer charge transfer and multipole moments in 2D materials, driven by quantum geometric properties like Berry curvature and quantum metric, with potential for electric control of layer degrees of freedom.

Contribution

It reveals the quantum geometric origins of interlayer charge transfer and multipole generation in layered materials, highlighting symmetry and topological effects.

Findings

Linear and nonlinear interlayer charge transfer driven by in-plane fields.

Quantum geometric origins linked to Berry curvature and quantum metric.

Enhanced effects during topological phase transitions.

Abstract

We show that interlayer charge transfer in 2D materials can be driven by an in-plane electric field, giving rise to electrical multipole generation in linear and second order of in-plane field. The linear and nonlinear effects have quantum geometric origins in the Berry curvature and quantum metric respectively, defined in extended parameter spaces characteristic of layered materials. We elucidate their symmetry characters, and demonstrate sizable dipole and quadrupole polarizations respectively in twisted bilayers and trilayers of transition metal dichalcogenides. Furthermore, we show that the effect is strongly enhanced during the topological phase transition tuned by interlayer translation. The effects point to a new electric control on layer quantum degree of freedom.