Quantum-geometry-induced anomalous Hall effect in nonunitary superconductors and application to Sr$_2$RuO$_4$

Abstract

The polar Kerr effect and the closely related anomalous charge Hall effect are among the most distinguishing signatures of the superconducting state in Sr$_2$RuO$_4$, as well as in several other compounds. These effects are often thought to be derived from chiral superconducting pairing, and different mechanisms have been invoked for the explanation. However, the intrinsic mechanisms proposed previously often involve unrealistically strong interband Cooper pairing. In this study we show that, even without interband pairing, nonunitary superconducting states can support intrinsic anomalous charge Hall effect, thanks to the quantum geometric properties of the Bloch electrons. The key here is to have a normal-state spin Hall effect, for which a nonzero spin-orbit coupling is essential. A finite charge Hall effect then naturally arises at the onset of a spin-polarized nonunitary superconducting pairing. It depends on both the spin polarization and the normal-state electron Berry curvature, the latter of which is the imaginary part of the quantum geometric tensor of the Bloch states. Applying our results to the weakly-paired Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ we conclude that, if the reported Kerr effect is of intrinsic origin, the superconducting state is most likely nonunitary and has odd-parity. Our theory may be generalized to other superconductors that exhibit polar Kerr effect.