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Off-resonant light-induced topological phase transition and thermoelectric transport in semi-Dirac materials

Vassilios Vargiamidis1,*, P. Vasilopoulos2,†, and Neophytos Neophytou1,‡

  • *Contact author: Vasileios.Vargiamidis@warwick.ac.uk
  • †Contact author: p.vasilopoulos@concordia.ca
  • ‡Contact author: N.Neophytou@warwick.ac.uk
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Phys. Rev. B 112, 045406 – Published 7 July, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/dyqm-xqbn

Abstract

We show that a semi-Dirac (SD) system with an inversion symmetry breaking mass exhibits a topological phase transition when irradiated with off-resonant light. Using Floquet theory, we derive the band structure, Chern numbers, phase diagram, and we show that as the light intensity is swept at fixed mass, the SD system undergoes a normal-Chern-normal insulator transition. Along the phase boundaries, we observe single semi-Dirac-cone (SSDC) semimetal states in which one SD cone is gapless and the other is gapped. The nontrivial Berry curvature distribution Ω(k)≠−Ω(−k) generates an orbital magnetization M and anomalous Nernst (αxy) and thermal Hall (κxy) conductivities. We show that M remains constant as the Fermi level EF scans the insulating gap, but it changes linearly with it in the Chern insulator (CI) phase, as expected. In the normal insulator phase, we find that αxy exhibits a dip-peak profile that is reversed in the CI phase. We also find that switching the light's circular polarization from left to right induces a sign change in M, αxy, and κxy, regardless of the topological phase, thereby allowing us to reverse the direction of flow of the transverse charge and heat currents. Further, we evaluate the components of the charge (σaa), thermoelectric (αaa), and thermal (κaa) conductivity tensors (a=x,y) and examine the effect of light on them. With a linear dispersion along the y-direction, we find that αyy and κyy are significantly larger than αxx and κxx, respectively, due to the much larger squared Dirac velocity vy2 compared to vx2.

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Phys. Rev. B 112, 045406– Published 7 July, 2025
  • Received 28 January 2025
  • Revised 4 June 2025
  • Accepted 23 June 2025
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