Kerr-like effect induced by quantum-metric nematicity

Abstract: The magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE), which describes the rotation and ellipticity of linearly polarized light upon reflection, typically occurs in magnetic materials that break time-reversal ($\mathcal{T}$) symmetry. Here we theoretically demonstrate that a similar effect can emerge even in two-dimensional nonmagnetic systems with $\mathcal{T}$ symmetry, owing to the nontrivial quantum geometry of electrons. We reveal that the nematicity of the quantum metric, which corresponds to electric quadrupole moment of electron wave packets, gives rise to a Kerr-like effect (KLE) depending on the incident polarization angle. Notably, neither magnetic order nor spin-orbit coupling, which are conventionally considered essential for the MOKE, is required for its emergence. The KLE is demonstrated by using both a minimal tight-binding model and a model for strained MoS$_2$ with parameters determined by first-principle calculations. This work reveals a quantum-geometric origin for polarization rotation effects beyond the MOKE and offers a distinct approach to probe quantum geometry and multipole moments of electrons.