Photogalvanic and photon drag phenomena in superconductors and hybrid superconducting systems

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent theoretical advances in understanding photogalvanic, photon drag, and inverse Faraday effects in superconductors and hybrid systems, focusing on mechanisms of nonlinear electrodynamic responses and dc current generation.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework based on the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory with a complex relaxation constant for analyzing nonlinear effects in superconductors.

Findings

Describes mechanisms of second-order nonlinear effects in superconductors.

Explains generation of dc photocurrents and magnetic moments.

Analyzes switching between current states under electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract

In this paper we review the recent progress in theoretical understanding of the peculiarities of photogalvanic phenomena, photon drag and inverse Faraday effects in superconductors and hybrid superconducting structures. Our study is based on the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) theory with a complex relaxation constant which provides the simplest description of the mechanisms of the second-order nonlinear effects in the electrodynamic response and related mechanisms of generation of dc photocurrents, magnetic moment and switching between different current states under the influence of electromagnetic radiation of various polarization.