Third-Order Harmonic Generation in Bulk Topological and Non-Topological Crystals

POSTER

Abstract

Solid-state harmonic generation (HG) offers insights into sub-femtosecond phenomena within condensed matter systems. We select a series of crystals with different electronic band-structure features to work toward elucidating the effect of topological surface states on third-order harmonic generation (THG). We compare Al2O3, a direct band-gap material, and Fe2O3, an indirect band-gap material, and in the future will add Cr:Al2O3, a direct band-gap material, and Bi2Se3, a topological insulator. We use a 20-TW Ti:Sapphire laser (𝜆central=800nm, 25 fs, 10 Hz) inside a vacuum chamber at 10-6 Torr, in the reflection geometry with the sample at 45° relative to the incident beam. The THG signal was detected by either a UV CCD camera or spectrometer which was in the atmosphere. We first studied the THG dependence on laser polarization and then on driving laser intensity, from ~0.2 TW/cm2 to ~1.2 TW/cm2. The THG dependence on laser polarization was studied and no such dependence was observed. We have experimentally compared the THG energy in Al2O3 and Fe2O3 through laser intensity scans on these materials and observed differences in generated THG energy between both materials.

*This research was partially supported by the NSF under Grant No. PHY 2206711, through the Princeton University's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center DMR-2011750, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, GBMF12255, grant DOI 10.37807/gbmf12255. I.T-G. gratefully acknowledges the support of the NSF through a Graduate Research Fellowship.

Presenters

  • Isabelle Tigges-Green

    • Princeton University Department of Chemistry

Authors

  • Isabelle Tigges-Green

    • Princeton University Department of Chemistry

  • Matthew Mason

    • Princeton University Department of Chemistry

  • Nicholas M Fasano

    • Princeton University Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

  • Andreas Giakas

    • Princeton University Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

  • Vedin Dewan

    • Princeton University Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

  • Michelle M Wang

    • Princeton University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

  • Ava N Hejazi

    • Princeton University Department of Chemistry
    • Princeton University

  • Somnath Biswas

    • University of Washington Department of Chemistry

  • Timothy Bennett

    • Princeton University Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

  • Matthew R Edwards

    • Stanford University Department of Mechanical Engineering

  • Nicholas Karpowicz

    • Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics
    • Max Planck Institute For Quantum Optics

  • Gregory D Scholes

    • Princeton University Department of Chemistry
    • Princeton University

  • Julia M Mikhailova

    • Princeton University Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
    • Princeton University