In this work, we show that suitably designed spatially varying linearly polarized light provides a versatile route to generate and control pseudo-magnetic fields in Weyl semimetals through Floquet engineering. Within a high-frequency expansion, we derive an effective axial gauge potential A5(r) whose curl gives the pseudo-magnetic field B5(r). By mapping the light profile to A5(r), we establish design principles for pseudo-magnetic field textures that mimic strain-induced gauge fields while offering key advantages like dynamic control, full reversibility, spatial selectivity, and absence of material deformation. We compare the Landau-level spectra produced by uniform real and pseudo-magnetic fields and also analyze both their linear optical conductivity and the second-order dc responses. Our results enable real-time manipulation of pseudo-magnetic fields and predict clear experimental signatures for optically engineered gauge fields in topological semimetals.
@article{arxiv.2510.08740,
title = {Light-induced pseudo-magnetic fields in three-dimensional topological semimetals},
author = {Arpit Raj and Swati Chaudhary and Martin Rodriguez-Vega and Maia G. Vergniory and Roni Ilan and Gregory A. Fiete},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2510.08740},
year = {2026}
}