Polarization resolved THz photovoltage in superconducting Bi2Sr2CaCu2O{8+x} thin flakes

Author: Salvía-Fernández, Sergio J.

Affiliation: ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences

Type: Poster

Display Dates: 22.07.2026 - 23.07.2026

Board: WT-007

Polarization-resolved photogalvanic effects provide a powerful tensorial probe of broken symmetries in quantum materials. In the high-Tc cuprate Bi2Sr2CaCu2O{8+x} (BSCCO-2212), mid-infrared studies have reported the emergence of linear and circular photogalvanic responses below the pseudogap temperature T*, indicating inversion symmetry breaking at the onset of the pseudogap state. However, the mid-IR response disappears upon entering the superconducting state below Tc.

Here, we investigate the polarization-dependent photovoltage response of BSCCO-2212 thin flakes in the THz regime. In contrast to prior mid-IR results, we observe a photovoltage response that persists below Tc. Moreover, the polarization axis of the response rotates across Tc, indicating a qualitative change in the underlying mechanism. These findings uncover a previously unexplored THz photoresponse in the superconducting state of cuprates and motivate further investigation of its microscopic origin.