Magnetic quantum ratchet effect in graphene

Paper in proceeding, 2013

We report on the observation of magnetic quantum ratchet (MQR) effect induced by electric field of terahertz radiation in single-layer graphene samples subjected to an inplane magnetic field. We show that the dc electric current stems from the orbital asymmetry of the Dirac fermions induced by an in-plane magnetic field, while the periodic driving comes from terahertz radiation. A microscopic theory of the observed effect is developed being in a good qualitative agreement with the experiment. The observation of the ratchet transport in the purest possible two-dimensional system indicates that the orbital effects may appear and be substantial in other 2D crystals, such as boron nitride, molybdenum dichalcogenides, and related heterostructures. The measurable orbital effects in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field give strong evidence for the existence of structure inversion asymmetry in graphene.