Nonlinear optical responses in superconductors under magnetic fields: quantum geometry and topological superconductivity

Abstract

Noncentrosymmetric superconductors offer fascinating phenomena of quantum transport and optics such as nonreciprocal and nonlinear responses. Time-reversal symmetry breaking often plays an essential role in the emergence and enhancement of nonreciprocal transport. In this paper, we show the nonreciprocal optical responses in noncentrosymmetric superconductors arising from time-reversal symmetry breaking by demonstrating them in $s$-wave superconductors with a Rashba spin-orbit coupling and a magnetic field. Numerical results reveal the superconductivity-induced bulk photocurrent and second harmonic generation, which are forbidden at the zero magnetic field. We discuss the properties and mechanisms of the superconducting nonlinear responses emerging under the magnetic field. In particular, we investigate the magnetic-field dependence of the photocurrent conductivity and clarify the essential ingredients which give a contribution unique to superconductors under the magnetic field. This contribution is dominant in the low carrier density regime although the corresponding joint density of states is tiny. We attribute the enhancement to the quantum geometry. Moreover, the nonlinear conductivity shows peculiar sign reversal at the transition to the topological superconducting state. We propose a bulk probe of topological transition and quantum geometry in superconductors.