Refraction Hall Effect

TL;DR

This paper introduces the refraction Hall effect, a geometric mechanism causing Hall-like transverse currents in time-reversal-invariant materials via wave packet refraction at potential interfaces.

Contribution

It presents a new geometric mechanism for Hall response in time-reversal-invariant systems, supported by analytical and numerical evidence.

Findings

Finite transverse current induced by interface refraction.

Hall conductance profile confirmed across models.

Wave packet dynamics illustrate geometric origin.

Abstract

We introduce a new mechanism that produces a Hall-like response in time-reversal-invariant materials, driven entirely by geometric effects. Specifically, we demonstrate that a tilted potential interface causes electron wave packets to undergo a refraction-like deflection upon transmission through the barrier, leading to a finite transverse current and a corresponding Hall conductance. Our analytical framework captures the essential features of this refraction Hall effect, and the resulting Hall conductivity profile is corroborated by numerical simulations across different lattice models and device geometries. We further visualize our predicted effect through real-time wave packet dynamics, which reveals its purely geometric origin and the robustness of the transverse response. These findings establish a fundamentally distinct class of Hall-like transport phenomena in mesoscopic systems that preserve time-reversal symmetry.