Photo-modulation of the spin Hall conductivity of mono-layer transition metal dichalcogenides

Abstract

We report on a possible optical tuning of the spin Hall conductivity in mono-layer transition metal dichalcogenides. Light beams of frequencies much higher than the energy scale of the system (the \textit{off-resonant} condition) does not excite electrons but rearranges the band structure. The rearrangement is quantitatively established using the Floquet formalism. For such a system of mono-layer transition metal dichalcogenides, the spin Hall conductivity (calculated with the Kubo expression in presence of disorder) exhibits a drop at higher frequencies and lower intensities. Finally, we compare the spin Hall conductivity of the higher spin-orbit coupled WSe${}_2$ to MoS${}_2$; the spin Hall conductivity of WSe${}_2$ was found to be larger.

4 pages, 3 figures