Berry curvature induced optical bistability
Phys. Rev. B 114, 045104 – Published 6 July, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/vxms-qwmf
Abstract
We develop a general theoretical framework showing that Berry curvature of electronic bands can produce intrinsic optical bistability under circularly polarized illumination. The bistability arises directly from Maxwell's boundary conditions, which couple the transmitted circular field to a transverse current generated by the imaginary component of the incident field. This transverse response is governed by anomalous Hall conductivities originating from the Berry curvature. By combining these components, we obtain a self-consistent nonlinear input-output equation that has multiple stable transmission states, demonstrating that bistability can emerge solely from the material's Berry curvature, without relying on cavities, interference paths, or external feedback mechanisms.
