Two-photon echo method for observing electron Zitterbewegung in carbon nanotubes

TL;DR

This paper proposes a two-photon echo method to observe electron Zitterbewegung in zigzag carbon nanotubes, using a density matrix approach to detect trembling motion without prior assumptions about electron wave packets.

Contribution

It introduces a novel two-photon echo technique combined with a density matrix formalism to observe Zitterbewegung in CNTs, avoiding common assumptions about electron wave packets.

Findings

Two-photon echo signals can reveal electron trembling motion in CNTs.

The method accounts for electron decoherence and relaxation effects.

Existing laser parameters are sufficient for experimental observation.

Abstract

The phenomenon of Zitterbewegung (ZB, trembling motion) of electrons is described in zigzag carbon nanotubes (CNT) excited by laser pulses. The tight binding approach is used for the band structure of CNT and the effect of light is introduced by the vector potential. Contrary to the common theoretical practice, no a priori assumptions are made concerning electron wave packet, the latter is determined as a result of illumination. In order to overcome the problem of various electron phases in ZB, a method of two-photon echo is considered and described using the density function formalism. The medium polarization of CNT is calculated by computing exact solutions of the time-dependent electron Hamiltonian. The signal of two-photon echo is extracted and it is shown that, using existing parameters of CNT and laser pulses, one should be able to observe the electron trembling motion. Effects of electron decoherence and relaxation are discussed.