Nonreciprocal optical response in parity-breaking superconductors

Abstract

Superconductivity, an emergence of a macroscopic quantum state, gives rise to unique electromagnetic responses leading to perfect shielding of magnetic field and zero electrical resistance. In this paper, we propose that superconductors with the space-inversion symmetry breaking host giant nonreciprocal optical phenomena, such as photocurrent generation and second harmonic generation. The nonreciprocal optical responses show divergent behaviors in the low-frequency regime and originate from two-fold indicators unique to parity-breaking superconductors, namely, the nonreciprocal superfluid density and the Berry curvature derivative. Furthermore, the mechanism and frequency dependence are closely tied to the preserved temporal symmetry in the superconductor. The relation is useful for probing the space-time structure of the superconducting symmetry. The indicators characterize the low-frequency property of nonreciprocal optical responses and hence quantify the performance of superconductors in nonreciprocal optics.