DC current generation and power feature in strongly driven Floquet-Bloch systems

Abstract

We study the DC current generation in a periodically driven Bloch system connected to a heat bath. Under a relaxation time approximation, the density matrix for such a system is obtained, which is related to two equilibria: a Floquet quasiequilibrium where the density matrix is diagonal under the Floquet-Bloch eigenbasis and an instantaneous Bloch thermal equilibrium. Then, the current responses and their power features, i.e., the power input behavior, are discussed in a unified manner, which reveals that there exist an intrinsic current and an extrinsic correction. Remarkably, the intrinsic part consumes no energy and corresponds to the Floquet quasiequilibrium, while the extrinsic part needs a sustained energy input and originates from a shift between two equilibrium ensembles. We further investigate the role of the external driving field strength finding that large DC currents can be generated under a relatively strong but not too strong driving field.