Moir\'e amplification of highly tunable shift current response in twisted trilayer graphene

Abstract

In this work we analyze the shift current conductivity in helical twisted trilayer graphene. Without loss of generality, we show that the density of states and the twist angle set an upper bound for this response, which is inversely proportional to the square of the twist angle. For the case of ABA stacking and at the magic angle, the shift photoconductivity can reach values of order $10^4~\mathrm{\mu A \cdot nm \cdot V}^{-2}$ for frequencies below 50 meV, which can be attributed to the interband transitions between the two flattened middle bands close to the Fermi level. By tuning the twist angle, we demonstrate that the photoconductivity is shifted in the frequency range and it is further influenced by two additional factors: The magnitude of the shift vector and the energy separation between the bands. Furthermore, we propose a scenario in the AAA stacked configuration, where the photoconductivity can be of order $10^5~\mathrm{\mu A \cdot nm \cdot V}^{-2}$ in the THz regime, revealing a potential influence of the stacking in the optimization of the shift current conductivity. Therefore, a large density of states, a small twist angle and the layer stacking are ingredients that hold promising functionality for photovoltaic applications in moir\'e heterostructures.