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Strong-field physics

Harmonic radiation from crystals

Electrons in a crystal can tunnel between energy bands when a strong electric field is switched on. It emerges that electron pathways interfere almost instantaneously, giving rise to ultra-short, pulsed emission of light. See Letter p.572

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Figure 1: Electron tunnelling and interference.

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Correspondence to Peter Hommelhoff.

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Hommelhoff, P., Higuchi, T. Harmonic radiation from crystals. Nature 523, 541–542 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/523541a

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