Ultrafast room-temperature valley manipulation in silicon and diamond

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Gindl, Adam, Čmel, Martin, Trojánek, František, Malý, Petr, Kozák, Martin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Gindl, Adam
Čmel, Martin
Trojánek, František
Malý, Petr
Kozák, Martin
author_facet Gindl, Adam
Čmel, Martin
Trojánek, František
Malý, Petr
Kozák, Martin
contents Some semiconductors have more than one degenerate minimum of the conduction band in their band structure. These minima-known as valleys-can be used for storing and processing information, if it is possible to generate a difference in their electron populations. However, to compete with conventional electronics, it is necessary to develop universal and fast methods for controlling and reading the valley quantum number of the electrons. Even though selective optical manipulation of electron populations in inequivalent valleys has been demonstrated in two-dimensional crystals with broken time-reversal symmetry, such control is highly desired in many technologically important semiconductor materials, including silicon and diamond. We demonstrate an ultrafast technique for the generation and read-out of a valley-polarized population of electrons in bulk semiconductors on subpicosecond timescales. The principle is based on the unidirectional intervalley scattering of electrons accelerated by an oscillating electric field of linearly polarized infrared femtosecond pulses. Our results are an advance in the development of potential room-temperature valleytronic devices operating at terahertz frequencies and compatible with contemporary silicon-based technology.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2411_11591
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Ultrafast room-temperature valley manipulation in silicon and diamond
Gindl, Adam
Čmel, Martin
Trojánek, František
Malý, Petr
Kozák, Martin
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Optics
Some semiconductors have more than one degenerate minimum of the conduction band in their band structure. These minima-known as valleys-can be used for storing and processing information, if it is possible to generate a difference in their electron populations. However, to compete with conventional electronics, it is necessary to develop universal and fast methods for controlling and reading the valley quantum number of the electrons. Even though selective optical manipulation of electron populations in inequivalent valleys has been demonstrated in two-dimensional crystals with broken time-reversal symmetry, such control is highly desired in many technologically important semiconductor materials, including silicon and diamond. We demonstrate an ultrafast technique for the generation and read-out of a valley-polarized population of electrons in bulk semiconductors on subpicosecond timescales. The principle is based on the unidirectional intervalley scattering of electrons accelerated by an oscillating electric field of linearly polarized infrared femtosecond pulses. Our results are an advance in the development of potential room-temperature valleytronic devices operating at terahertz frequencies and compatible with contemporary silicon-based technology.
title Ultrafast room-temperature valley manipulation in silicon and diamond
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Optics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.11591