Abstract

We predict that irradiated graphene can host two novel nonequilibrium steady states of matter with zero resistance when exposed to circularly polarized light: Floquet Chern insulators and a radiation-induced zero-resistance state with spontaneous formation of an inhomogeneous current distribution. Using nonequilibrium Green’s functions with Floquet eigenstate thermalization and self-consistent Born approximation for impurity scattering, we map the nonequilibrium phase diagram as a function of driving frequency and electric-field strength. High-frequency driving yields quantized anomalous Hall conductivities and nearly zero longitudinal conductivity, while low-frequency driving produces irregular longitudinal response including negative resistance and a predicted breakdown into a zero-resistance state.

Abstract

We predict that irradiated graphene can host two novel nonequilibrium steady states of matter with zero resistance when exposed to circularly polarized light: Floquet Chern insulators and a radiation-induced zero-resistance state with spontaneous formation of an inhomogeneous current distribution. Using nonequilibrium Green’s functions with Floquet eigenstate thermalization and self-consistent Born approximation for impurity scattering, we map the nonequilibrium phase diagram as a function of driving frequency and electric-field strength. High-frequency driving yields quantized anomalous Hall conductivities and nearly zero longitudinal conductivity, while low-frequency driving produces irregular longitudinal response including negative resistance and a predicted breakdown into a zero-resistance state.

Abstract

We predict that irradiated graphene can host two novel nonequilibrium steady states of matter with zero resistance when exposed to circularly polarized light: Floquet Chern insulators and a radiation-induced zero-resistance state with spontaneous formation of an inhomogeneous current distribution. Using nonequilibrium Green’s functions with Floquet eigenstate thermalization and self-consistent Born approximation for impurity scattering, we map the nonequilibrium phase diagram as a function of driving frequency and electric-field strength. High-frequency driving yields quantized anomalous Hall conductivities and nearly zero longitudinal conductivity, while low-frequency driving produces irregular longitudinal response including negative resistance and a predicted breakdown into a zero-resistance state.

Abstract

We predict that irradiated graphene can host two novel nonequilibrium steady states of matter with zero resistance when exposed to circularly polarized light: Floquet Chern insulators and a radiation-induced zero-resistance state with spontaneous formation of an inhomogeneous current distribution. Using nonequilibrium Green’s functions with Floquet eigenstate thermalization and self-consistent Born approximation for impurity scattering, we map the nonequilibrium phase diagram as a function of driving frequency and electric-field strength. High-frequency driving yields quantized anomalous Hall conductivities and nearly zero longitudinal conductivity, while low-frequency driving produces irregular longitudinal response including negative resistance and a predicted breakdown into a zero-resistance state.