Observation of the circular photogalvanic effect in the Weyl semimetal TaAs using THz emission spectroscopy

Abstract

We investigate polarization-dependent ultrafast photocurrents in theWeyl semimetal TaAs using terahertz (THz) emission spectroscopy. Our results reveal that highly directional, transient photocurrents are generated along the non-centrosymmetric c-axis regardless of incident light polarization, while helicity-dependent photocurrents are excited within the ab-plane. Such findings are consistent with earlier static photocurrent experiments, and demonstrate on the basis of both the physical constraints imposed by symmetry and the temporal dynamics intrinsic to current generation and decay that optically induced photocurrents in TaAs are inherent to the underlying crystal symmetry. Such generality in the microscopic origin of photocurrent generation in the transition metal monopnictide family of Weyl semimetals makes these materials promising candidates as next generation sources or detectors in the mid-IR and terahertz frequency ranges.