Topological Properties of Bilayer $α-T_{3}$ Lattice Induced by Polarized Light

Abstract: In this study, we explore the topological properties of the photon-dressed energy bands in bilayer $\alpha-T_{3}$ lattices, focusing on both aligned and cyclic stacking configurations under the influence of off-resonant circularly polarized light. We derive precise analytical expressions for the quasi-energy bands in the aligned stacking case, while numerical results for cyclic stacking are obtained at the Dirac points. Our findings reveal that the time-reversal symmetry breaking caused by circularly polarized light completely lifts the degeneracy at the $t<sup>{a,c}$-point intersections at these Dirac points. To investigate the topological signatures of the driven $\alpha-T_{3}$ lattices, we examine the Berry phase through anomalous magnetic and thermal responses. Notably, at $\alpha = 1/\sqrt{2}$, we find that the orbital magnetic moments associated with both corrugated and flat bands exhibit opposite signs, along with their Berry curvatures. For values of $0 &lt; \alpha &lt; 1$, off-resonant light induces deformations in the bands near the Dirac points, leading to two equally sized gaps in the quasi-energy spectrum. The position of the chemical potential within these gaps significantly influences the orbital magnetization. We observe that linear variations in magnetization correlate with Chern numbers on either side of $\alpha = 1/\sqrt{2}$. These topological features manifest as distinct quantized values of anomalous Hall conductivity across both stacking types...