Phonon-driven decoherence of high-harmonic generation in the solid-state
Saadat Mokhtari, Vedran Jelic, David N. Purschke, Shima Gholam-Mirzaei, Katarzyna M. Kowalczyk + 6 more
TLDR
This paper experimentally links temperature-driven incoherent phonons to decoherence in solid-state high-harmonic generation, showing yield increases with decreasing temperature.
Key contributions
- Experimentally investigated temperature dependence of solid-state high-harmonic generation in silicon.
- Observed a significant increase in harmonic yield as temperature decreased.
- Developed a 1D atomic-chain model to simulate incoherent phonon effects on HHG.
- Showed thermal lattice disorder enhances electron-hole decoherence, reducing HHG emission.
Why it matters
This research provides the first direct experimental evidence linking incoherent phonons to decoherence in solid-state high-harmonic generation. It clarifies a crucial mechanism, offering insights into controlling ultrafast electron dynamics in materials. This understanding is vital for advancing quantum technologies and ultrafast spectroscopy.
Original Abstract
High-harmonic generation in solids has emerged as a powerful probe of ultrafast electron dynamics and lattice motion, and recent theoretical work has suggested that thermally driven lattice fluctuations can act as an effective source of decoherence in the harmonic-generation process. However, a direct experimental link between high-harmonic emission and temperature-driven incoherent phonons has remained unclear. Here, we investigate the temperature dependence of high-harmonic generation in ultrapure silicon using reflection-geometry measurements over a wide temperature range. We observe that the harmonic yield increases significantly with decreasing temperature. To interpret these results, we introduce a one-dimensional atomic-chain model in which finite temperature is represented by random lattice displacements that mimic incoherent phonon fluctuations. The simulations reproduce the magnitude of temperature-dependent change of the harmonic signal and support a picture in which thermally induced lattice disorder enhances electron-hole decoherence, thereby reducing high-harmonic emission. Our results establish incoherent phonons as an important source of decoherence in solid-state high-harmonic generation.
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