Optical injection and terahertz detection of the macroscopic Berry curvature

Kuljit S. Virk; J. E. Sipe

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.107.120403

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arXiv · 1108.3903

Optical injection and terahertz detection of the macroscopic Berry curvature

Kuljit S. Virk·J. E. Sipe

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Abstract

We propose an experimental scheme to probe the Berry curvature of solids. Our method is sensitive to arbitrary regions of the Brillouin zone, and employs only basic optical and terahertz techniques to yield a background free signal. Using semiconductor quantum wells as a prototypical system, we discuss how to inject Berry curvature macroscopically, and probe it in a way that provides information about the underlying microscopic Berry curvature.

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Kuljit S. Virk, J. E. Sipe. 2011-08-19. Optical injection and terahertz detection of the macroscopic Berry curvature. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.107.120403

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