Quantum-metric-induced giant and reversible nonreciprocal transport phenomena in chiral loop-current phases of kagome metals

Abstract

Rich spontaneous symmetry-breaking phenomena with nontrivial quantum geometric properties in metals represent central issues in condensed matter physics. The emergence of chiral loop-current order, accompanied by time-reversal symmetry (TRS) breaking in various kagome metals, has garnered significant attention as a novel quantum topological state. Particularly noteworthy is the giant electrical magnetochiral anisotropy (eMChA) in CsV3Sb5 [Guo et al, Nature 611, 461 (2022)], which provides compelling evidence of TRS and inversion-symmetry breaking. However, the underlying essence of this observation has remained obscured due to the lack of theoretical understanding. Here, we identify that the chiral loop-current induces substantial and switchable eMChA in kagome metals by taking account of the experimentally observed stripe charge-density-wave. The obtained eMChA coefficient is $\gamma_{eM}\propto M_{orb} \tau$, where $M_{orb}$ is the loop-current-induced orbital magnetization and $\tau$ is the lifetime of conduction electrons. Importantly, giant eMChA arises from the quantum metric (QM), which defines essential quantum phases of matter and their unique functionalities, including nonlinear effects. This effect is resonantly amplified in the loop-current phase, and the derived eMChA is switched by minute magnetic fields. This research elucidates the fundamental symmetry breaking in kagome metals and also sets the stage for investigating the QM-induced phenomena arising from electronic correlations.