Theory of Photocurrent and High-Harmonic Generation with Chiral Fermions

Abstract: We theoretically discover possible dc-current induction and high-harmonic generation from photodriven chiral fermions in B20-type semimetals irradiated with circularly polarized light as nonlinear optical responses with several unconventional properties. First, we find multiple sign changes of the induced bulk dc photocurrent as a function of light parameters, which is ascribed to the nature of asymmetric photon-dressed bands in chiral systems. Moreover, we observe a parity-dependent directivity of high-harmonic generation where the odd- and even-order harmonics have intensities only in directions perpendicular and parallel to the polarization plane, respectively, which can be understood from dynamical symmetry of the present photodriven chiral systems.