ArXiv · 2026
In nonmagnetic centrosymmetric materials, PT symmetry enforces vanishing total phonon angular momentum (phonon AM) at every wave vector, making them appear unsuitable as hosts of axial phonons. Here, using first-principles calculations for BaAgAs and representative van der Waal's layered materials, we show that centrosymmetric slabs can still host large hidden layer-resolved phonon AM with both chiral and cycloidal modes. This hidden phonon AM texture produces layer resolved phonon thermal Edelstein-like responses and a real-space phonon AM dipole response, both tunable by strain. Our results establish centrosymmetric layered materials as an exciting platform for hidden axial phonon and multipolar phonon thermal response.
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