Symmetry-Engineered Nonlinear Hall Response and Optical Response in Strained Monolayer Janus AsTeBr

Abstract

The nonlinear Hall effect (NLHE) enables the generation of a transverse charge current in nonmagnetic materials with broken inversion symmetry while preserving time-reversal symmetry through the Berry curvature dipole (BCD). However, in crystals with $C_{3v}$ symmetry, the threefold rotational symmetry forces the BCD to vanish, thereby suppressing the intrinsic NLHE despite the presence of finite local Berry curvature. Here, using first-principles density functional theory combined with Wannier-based transport calculations, we demonstrate that uniaxial strain induces the NLHE in monolayer Janus AsTeBr by lowering the crystal symmetry from $C_{3v}$ to $C_{1}$ and generating a finite BCD. The resulting anisotropic redistribution of Berry-curvature hotspots produces pronounced nonlinear Hall conductivity and nonlinear Hall current, with the maximum response obtained at 2\% tensile strain. To elucidate the accompanying electronic-structure evolution, we further investigate the strain-dependent optical properties through the joint density of states, dielectric function, optical absorption, and reflectance. The optical spectra exhibit a systematic red shift and enhanced low-energy interband transitions, consistent with the strain-induced reconstruction of the electronic structure. Our results establish a microscopic connection between symmetry breaking, Berry-phase geometry, nonlinear Hall transport, and optical response, demonstrating that uniaxial strain provides an effective strategy for tailoring multiple functional properties in Janus two-dimensional materials.