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Optical Control of High-Harmonic Generation at the Atomic Thickness
Yadong Wang1, Fadil Iyikanat2, Xueyin Bai1
1Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering, Aalto University, Espoo02150, Finland.
Nano Letters
|October 28, 2022
Summary
Researchers achieved active optical control of high-harmonic generation (HHG) in monolayer semiconductors by engineering interband polarization. This breakthrough offers efficient control with ultrafast response speeds for advanced optical devices.
Area of Science:
- Extreme nonlinear optics
- Solid-state physics
- Quantum optics
Background:
- High-harmonic generation (HHG) is a crucial nonlinear optical process for generating ultrashort pulses.
- Current limitations in HHG control stem from weak light-matter interactions in known materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate optically controlled HHG in monolayer semiconductors.
- To investigate the engineering of interband polarization for HHG modulation.
- To explore applications in active optical devices.
Main Methods:
- Optically controlled high-harmonic generation.
- Engineering of interband polarization in monolayer semiconductors.
- Quantitative time-domain theory of nonlinear optical susceptibilities.
Main Results:
- Achieved efficient optical control of HHG in the excitonic spectral region.
- Demonstrated modulation depths up to 95%.
- Observed ultrafast response speeds on the order of picoseconds.
Conclusions:
- Monolayer semiconductors enable efficient active control of HHG.
- Engineering interband polarization is a viable strategy for HHG modulation.
- This work paves the way for novel active optical devices in strong-field physics.
