Anomalous skew-scattering nonlinear Hall effect and chiral photocurrents in {\it PT}-symmetric antiferromagnets

Abstract

Berry curvature and skew-scattering play central roles in determining both the linear and nonlinear anomalous Hall effects. Yet in {\it PT}-symmetric antiferromagnetic metals, Hall effects from either intrinsic Berry curvature mediated anomalous velocity or the conventional skew-scattering process individually vanish. Here we reveal an unexpected nonlinear Hall effect that relies on both Berry curvature and skew-scattering working in cooperation. This anomalous skew-scattering nonlinear Hall effect (ASN) is {\it PT}-even and dominates the low-frequency nonlinear Hall effect for {\it PT}-symmetric antiferromagnetic metals. Surprisingly, we find that in addition to its Hall response, ASN produces helicity dependent photocurrents, in contrast to other known {\it PT}-even nonlinearities in metals which are helicity blind. This characteristic enables to isolate ASN and establishes new photocurrent tools to interrogate the antiferromagnetic order of {\it PT}-symmetric metals.