Ultrafast photocurrents in the Weyl semimetal TaAs (Conference Presentation)

Nicholas Sirica; Rohit Prasankumar; Dmitry Yarotski; Jianxin Zhu

doi:10.1117/12.2548490

10 March 2020 Ultrafast photocurrents in the Weyl semimetal TaAs (Conference Presentation)

Nicholas Sirica, Rohit Prasankumar, Dmitry Yarotski, Jianxin Zhu

Proceedings Volume 11278, Ultrafast Phenomena and Nanophotonics XXIV; 112780E (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2548490
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2020, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Weyl semimetals have been the focus of intense experimental and theoretical investigation, due to their broad appeal in fundamental science and applied technology alike. More recently, several studies have centered on the nonlinear optical properties of these materials, where it is believed that characteristic features of Weyl physics can be observed. To date, these studies have been limited to static or quasi-static measurements, but new and important insights can come about through extending these nonlinear optical spectroscopies into the time domain. To do so, we use terahertz (THz) emission spectroscopy and time-resolved second harmonic generation (TR-SHG) spectroscopy to provide a contact free measure of ultrafast photocurrent dynamics in the transition metal monopnictide family of type-I Weyl semimetals. On the basis of our data, we are able to clearly distinguish between helicity-dependent photocurrents generated within the ab-plane and polarization-independent photocurrents flowing along the non-centrosymmetric c-axis. Such findings are consistent with earlier static photocurrent experiments, and demonstrate on the basis of both the physical constraints imposed by symmetry and the temporal dynamics intrinsic to current generation and decay that optically induced photocurrents in TaAs are inherent to the underlying crystal symmetry. Such generality in the microscopic origin of photocurrent generation in the transition metal monopnictide family of Weyl semimetals makes these materials promising candidates as next generation sources or detectors in the mid-IR and THz frequency ranges.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Nicholas Sirica, Rohit Prasankumar, Dmitry Yarotski, and Jianxin Zhu "Ultrafast photocurrents in the Weyl semimetal TaAs (Conference Presentation)", Proc. SPIE 11278, Ultrafast Phenomena and Nanophotonics XXIV, 112780E (10 March 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2548490

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KEYWORDS

Metalloids

Ultrafast phenomena

Spectroscopy

Terahertz radiation

Transition metals

Emission spectroscopy

Harmonic generation

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