Electrically tuneable nonlinear anomalous Hall effect in two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides WTe2 and MoTe2

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Yang Zhang - , Chair of Solid State Theory, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Jeroen Van Den Brink - , Chair of Solid State Theory, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Claudia Felser - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Binghai Yan - , Weizmann Institute of Science (Author)

Abstract

We studied the nonlinear electric response in WTe2 and MoTe2 monolayers. When the inversion symmetry is breaking but the the time-reversal symmetry is preserved, a second-order Hall effect called the nonlinear anomalous Hall effect (NLAHE) emerges owing to the nonzero Berry curvature on the nonequilibrium Fermi surface. We reveal a strong NLAHE with a Hall-voltage that is quadratic with respect to the longitudinal current. The optimal current direction is normal to the mirror plane in these two-dimensional (2D) materials. The NLAHE can be sensitively tuned by an out-of-plane electric field, which induces a transition from a topological insulator to a normal insulator. Crossing the critical transition point, the magnitude of the NLAHE increases, and its sign is reversed. Our work paves the way to discover exotic nonlinear phenomena in inversion-symmetry-breaking 2D materials.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number044001
Journal2D materials
Volume5
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - 20 Jul 2018
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

Keywords

  • Hall effect, Nonlinear response, Topology, Transition metal chalcogenides