Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Letter

Ternary current plateaus in honeycomb monolayers via optical polarization control

Jun Zheng1,2,*, Jia-Hui Chi2, Wei Pei2, and Wen-Long Ma1,3,†

  • *Contact author: junzheng@semi.ac.cn
  • †Contact author: wenlongma@semi.ac.cn

Phys. Rev. B 113, L121412 – Published 26 March, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/fl3t-7v1x

Abstract

Elements exhibiting three stable current plateaus enable ternary logic, reducing interconnect load, and simplifying decision-making compared to binary logic. We show that a single off-resonant, linearly polarized optical drive can produce such plateaus in honeycomb monolayers, with the polarization angle α controlling the band gap and electronic transport. In the high-frequency regime, we derive an effective Floquet Hamiltonian in which the hopping amplitudes are renormalized by angle-dependent Bessel functions. The response is 180∘-periodic: generic orientations reduce the point-group symmetry, whereas mirror-aligned angles restore D2h symmetry and pin the extrema of the band gap. Quantum transport calculations for a finite armchair-terminated silicene nanoribbon reveal a polarization-controlled crossover from evanescent to resonant transport. The drive amplitude Λ sets the overall gap scale, while α redistributes spectral weight and mode overlap. These effects together yield three robust current plateaus, each persisting over a wide range of Λ and tolerating ≈10∘ variations in α. This mechanism applies across honeycomb monolayers, providing design rules for light-controlled multivalued electronics.

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Authorization Required

We need you to provide your credentials before accessing this content.

Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

References (Subscription Required)

Outline

Information

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation