Nonreciprocal current induced by dissipation in time-reversal symmetric systems

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that nonreciprocal current can occur in time-reversal symmetric, dissipative noncentrosymmetric systems through interband processes, linked to the shift vector, with implications for minigap systems.

Contribution

It reveals a dissipation-induced nonreciprocal current mechanism in time-reversal symmetric systems, connecting it to geometric properties like the shift vector.

Findings

Nonreciprocal current is proportional to the inverse of the lifetime τ.

The current mechanism is effective in minigap systems with comparable energy gap and relaxation strength.

Numerical simulation confirms the nonreciprocal current in the Rice--Mele model.

Abstract

We study nonreciprocal current response in noncentrosymmetric crystals under time-reversal symmetry. We show that the nonreciprocal current appears in a dissipative system through interband processes. The nonreciprocal current is inversely proportional to the lifetime $\tau$ and has a close relationship to the geometric quantity called the shift vector. The current mechanism is suitable for minigap systems where the energy gap and relaxation strength are comparable. We present a numerical simulation of the nonreciprocal current in the one-dimensional Rice--Mele model.