Theoretical investigations on Kerr and Faraday rotations in topological multi-Weyl Semimetals

Abstract

Motivated by the recent proposal of giant Kerr rotation in WSMs, we investigate the Kerr and Faraday rotations in time-reversal broken multi-Weyl semimetals (mWSMs) in the absence of an external magnetic field. Using the framework of Kubo response theory, we find that both the longitudinal and transverse components of the optical conductivity in mWSMs are modified by the topological charge (nn). Engendered by the optical Hall conductivity, we show in the thin film limit that, while the giant Kerr rotation and corresponding ellipticity are independent of nn, the Faraday rotation and its ellipticity angle scale as nn and n^2n2, respectively. In contrast, the polarization rotation in semi-infinite mWSMs is dominated by the axion field showing nn dependence. In particular, the magnitude of Kerr (Faraday) angle decreases (increases) with increasing nn in Faraday geometry, whereas in Voigt geometry, it depicts different nn-dependencies in different frequency regimes. The obtained results on the behavior of polarization rotations in mWSMs could be used in experiments as a probe to distinguish single, double, and triple WSMs, as well as discriminate the surfaces of mWSMs with and without hosting Fermi arcs.