Optical properties of topological flat and dispersive bands

We study the optical properties of topological flat and dispersive bands. Due to their topological nature, there exists an anomalous Hall response which gives rise to a transverse current without applied magnetic field. The dynamical Hall conductivity of systems with flat bands exhibits a sign change when the excitation energy is on resonance with the band gap, similar to the magnetotransport Hall conductivity profile. The sign change of the Hall conductivity is located at the frequency corresponding to the singularity of the joint density of states, i.e., the van Hove singularity (VHS). For perfectly flat bands, this VHS energy matches the band gap. On the other hand, in the case of dispersive bands, the VHS energy is located above the band gap. As a result, the two features of the Hall conductivity, i.e., the resonant feature at the band gap and the sign change at the VHS energy, become separated. This anomalous Hall response rotates the polarization of an electric field and can be detected in the reflected and transmitted waves, as Kerr and Faraday rotations, respectively, thus allowing a simple optical characterization of topological flat bands.