Kerr, Faraday, and Magnetoelectric Effects in MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ Thin Films

Abstract: The topological magneto-electric effect (TME) is a characteristic property of topological insulators. In this article, we use a simplified coupled-Dirac-cone electronic structure model to theoretically evaluate the THz and far infrared Kerr and Faraday responses of thin films of MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ with up to $N=10$ septuple layers with the goal of clarifying the relationship between these convenient magneto-optical observables and the TME. We find that for even $N$ the linear Kerr and Faraday responses to an electric field vanish in the low-frequency limit, even though the magnetoelectric response is large and approximately quantized.