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arXiv · 2309.16313

Strong-Field Bloch Electron Interferometry for Band Structure Retrieval

Tobias Weitz·Christian Heide·Peter Hommelhoff
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Abstract

When Bloch electrons in a solid are exposed to a strong optical field, they are coherently driven in their respective bands where they acquire a quantum phase as the imprint of the band shape. If an electron approaches an avoided crossing formed by two bands, it may be split by undergoing a Landau-Zener transition. We here employ subsequent Landau-Zener transitions to realize strong-field Bloch electron interferometry (SFBEI), allowing us to reveal band structure information. In particular, we measure the Fermi velocity (band slope) of graphene in the vicinity of the K points as (1.07$\pm$0.04) nm fs$^{-1}$. We expect SFBEI for band structure retrieval to apply to a wide range of material systems and experimental conditions, making it suitable for studying transient changes in band structure with femtosecond temporal resolution at ambient conditions.

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Tobias Weitz, Christian Heide, Peter Hommelhoff. 2023-09-28. Strong-Field Bloch Electron Interferometry for Band Structure Retrieval. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.132.206901

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