Tunable Non-Integer High-Harmonic Generation in a Topological Insulator | Sciact - CRIS-system of Boreskov Institute of Catalysis

Tunable Non-Integer High-Harmonic Generation in a Topological Insulator Full article

Journal

Nature
ISSN: 0028-0836 , E-ISSN: 1476-4687

Output data

Year: 2021, Volume: 593, Number: 7859, Pages: 385-390 Pages count : 6 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03466-7

Tags

High-harmonic generation; Topological insulators

Authors

Schmid C.P. ¹ , Weigl L. ¹ , Grössing P. ² , Junk V. ² , Gorini C. ^2,7 , Schlauderer S. ¹ , Ito S. ³ , Meierhofer M. ¹ , Hofmann N. ¹ , Afanasiev D. ¹ , Crewse J. ² , Kokh K.A. ^4,5 , Tereshchenko O.E. ^5,6 , Güdde J. ³ , Evers F. ² , Wilhelm J. ² , Richter K. ² , Höfer U. ³ , Huber R. ¹

Affiliations

1	Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
2	Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
3	Department of Physics, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
4	V.S. Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
5	Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
6	A.V. Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
7	Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, SPEC, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

When intense lightwaves accelerate electrons through a solid, the emerging high-order harmonic (HH) radiation offers key insights into the material. Sub-optical-cycle dynamics—such as dynamical Bloch oscillations quasiparticle collisions, valley pseudospin switching and heating of Dirac gases—leave fingerprints in the HH spectra of conventional solids. Topologically non-trivial matter with invariants that are robust against imperfections has been predicted to support unconventional HH generation. Here we experimentally demonstrate HH generation in a three-dimensional topological insulator—bismuth telluride. The frequency of the terahertz driving field sharply discriminates between HH generation from the bulk and from the topological surface, where the unique combination of long scattering times owing to spin–momentum locking and the quasi-relativistic dispersion enables unusually efficient HH generation. Intriguingly, all observed orders can be continuously shifted to arbitrary non-integer multiples of the driving frequency by varying the carrier-envelope phase of the driving field—in line with quantum theory. The anomalous Berry curvature warranted by the non-trivial topology enforces meandering ballistic trajectories of the Dirac fermions, causing a hallmark polarization pattern of the HH emission. Our study provides a platform to explore topology and relativistic quantum physics in strong-field control, and could lead to non-dissipative topological electronics at infrared frequencies.

Schmid C.P. , Weigl L. , Grössing P. , Junk V. , Gorini C. , Schlauderer S. , Ito S. , Meierhofer M. , Hofmann N. , Afanasiev D. , Crewse J. , Kokh K.A. , Tereshchenko O.E. , Güdde J. , Evers F. , Wilhelm J. , Richter K. , Höfer U. , Huber R.
Tunable Non-Integer High-Harmonic Generation in a Topological Insulator
Nature. 2021. V.593. N7859. P.385-390. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03466-7 WOS Scopus ANCAN OpenAlex

Submitted:	Aug 28, 2020
Accepted:	Mar 17, 2021
Published online:	May 19, 2021
Published print:	May 20, 2021

Web of science:	WOS:000652278400016
Scopus:	2-s2.0-85106295589
Chemical Abstracts:	2021:1124822
Chemical Abstracts (print):	175:405181
OpenAlex:	W3161540890

DB	Citing
Scopus	168
Web of science	154
OpenAlex	167