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High-harmonic spectroscopy of ultrafast many-body dynamics in strongly correlated systems

Nature Photonics 12, 266–270 (2018) | Download Citation

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Abstract

We bring together two topics that, until now, have been the focus of intense but non-overlapping research efforts. The first concerns high-harmonic generation in solids, which occurs when an intense light field excites a highly non-equilibrium electronic response in a semiconductor or a dielectric. The second concerns many-body dynamics in strongly correlated systems such as the Mott insulator. We show that high-harmonic generation can be used to time-resolve ultrafast many-body dynamics associated with an optically driven phase transition, with accuracy far exceeding one cycle of the driving light field. Our work paves the way for time-resolving highly non-equilibrium many-body dynamics in strongly correlated systems, with few femtosecond accuracy.

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        Acknowledgements

        The authors acknowledge fruitful discussions with T. Oka, B. Amorim and P. Hawkins. M.I. and R.E.F.S. acknowledge support from EPSRC/DSTL MURI grant EP/N018680/1.

        Author information

        Affiliations

        1. Max-Born-Institut, Berlin, Germany

          • R. E. F. Silva
          • , O. Smirnova
          •  & M. Ivanov

        2. Russian Quantum Center, Skolkovo, Russia

          • Igor V. Blinov
          •  & Alexey N. Rubtsov

        3. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow, Russia

          • Igor V. Blinov

        4. Department of Physics, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

          • Alexey N. Rubtsov

        5. Technische Universität Berlin, Ernst-Ruska-Gebäude, Berlin, Germany

          • O. Smirnova

        6. Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, UK

          • M. Ivanov

        7. Department of Physics, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany

          • M. Ivanov

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        Contributions

        R.E.F.S. developed the numerical code. M.I., R.E.F.S and O.S. developed the idea. All authors contributed to analysis of the results. M.I. and R.E.F.S. wrote the main part of the manuscript, which was discussed by all authors.

        Competing interests

        The authors declare no competing interests.

        Corresponding authors

        Correspondence to R. E. F. Silva or M. Ivanov.

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        DOI

        https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-018-0129-0