Mirror-Constrained Optical Hall Rectification in Asymmetric Gold Gratings:\\ Edelstein Conversion and a Phase-Seeded Kerr Four-Wave Mixing Instability

Abstract

Transverse optical rectification has been reported in a one-dimensional asymmetric Au grating even though an ideal profile $h(x)$ retains the $xz$ mirror $\Me:y\to-y$. Because $J_y$ is odd under $\Me$, whereas the $p$-polarized bilinears $|E_x|^2$, $|E_z|^2$, and $\mathrm{Re}(E_xE_z^*)$ are even, the transverse dc current requires a distinct mirror-odd factor $\Lamy$. We formulate a symmetry-complete effective model combining the origin-independent cell invariant $\Astr=\mathrm{Im}(h_1^2h_2^*)$, Drude--Edelstein spin polarization, and spin--orbit conversion. We then propose a dynamical realization of $\Lamy$ for a finite-width device. A driven pump-like plasmonic mode at $k_y\simeq0$ generates a mirror pair of transverse surface-plasmon-polariton quasinormal modes $(K_x,\pm q_y)$ through the same third-order susceptibility that produces self- and cross-Kerr shifts. Four-wave mixing creates the pair and locks its phase sum but, by itself, cannot change the pair-population difference. Weak coherent backscattering makes the relative drive phase observable; a small phase difference from incident $k_y$, spot displacement, edges, or disorder then unfolds a Kerr directional instability and deterministically selects its sign. The resulting population imbalance supplies the dynamical mirror-odd factor $\Ldyn=λ_ηη$ in the structure-dependent $\Astr\Lamy\langle j_xs_y\rangle_t$ side-jump-like channel, which vanishes for the centered symmetric grating because $\Astr=0$. We give the complete three-mode equations, the pump-only and saturated-state Bogoliubov problems, the imperfect-pitchfork reduction, and a validated normalized numerical realization. The normalized equations exhibit a robust supercritical pitchfork with an approximately one-half critical exponent and phase-reversed branch selection.