Hohenleutner, M. and Langer, F. and Schubert, O. and Knorr, M. and Huttner, U. and Koch, S. W. and Kira, M. and Huber, R. (2015) Real-time observation of interfering crystal electrons in high-harmonic generation. NATURE, 523 (7562). 572-+. ISSN 0028-0836, 1476-4687
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Acceleration and collision of particles has been a key strategy for exploring the texture of matter. Strong light waves can control and recollide electronic wavepackets, generating high-harmonic radiation that encodes the structure and dynamics of atoms and molecules and lays the foundations of attosecond science(1-3). The recent discovery of high-harmonic generation in bulk solids(4-6) combines the idea of ultrafast acceleration with complex condensed matter systems, and provides hope for compact solid-state attosecond sources(6-8) and electronics at optical frequencies(3,5,9,10). Yet the underlying quantum motion has not so far been observable in real time. Here we study high-harmonic generation in a bulk solid directly in the time domain, and reveal a new kind of strong-field excitation in the crystal. Unlike established atomic sources(1-3,9,11), our solid emits high-harmonic radiation as a sequence of subcycle bursts that coincide temporally with the field crests of one polarity of the driving terahertz waveform. We show that these features are characteristic of a non-perturbative quantum interference process that involves electrons from multiple valence bands. These results identify key mechanisms for future solid-state attosecond sources and next-generation light-wave electronics. The new quantum interference process justifies the hope for all-optical band-structure reconstruction and lays the foundation for possible quantum logic operations at optical clock rates.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | ULTRASHORT LASER-PULSES; ATTOSECOND PULSES; TERAHERTZ PULSES; NONLINEAR OPTICS; DYNAMICS; MOLECULES; |
| Subjects: | 500 Science > 530 Physics |
| Divisions: | Physics > Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics > Chair Professor Huber > Group Rupert Huber |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Jul 2019 12:07 |
| Last Modified: | 05 Jul 2019 12:07 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/5177 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
