Refraction-induced transverse charge transport

Abstract:We introduce a mechanism that produces a Hall-like transverse response in time-reversal-invariant materials, driven entirely by geometric effects. Specifically, we demonstrate that a tilted potential interface causes electron wave packets to undergo a refractionlike deflection upon transmission through the barrier, leading to a finite transverse current and a corresponding Hall-like conductance. Our analytical framework captures the essential features of this refraction-driven charge transport, and the resulting transverse conductance profile is corrob- orated by numerical simulations across different lattice models and device geometries. We further visualize our predicted effect through real-time wave packet dynamics, which reveals its purely geometric origin and the robustness of the transverse response. These findings establish a fundamentally distinct class of Hall-like transport phenomena in mesoscopic systems that preserve time-reversal symmetry.

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall); Quantum Physics (quant-ph)

arXiv:2511.15337 [cond-mat.mes-hall]

(or arXiv:2511.15337v2 [cond-mat.mes-hall] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2511.15337 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite

Phys. Rev. B 114, 105406 (2026), selected as an Editors' Suggestion

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