Dynamics of quasiparticles in graphene under intense circularly polarized light

TL;DR

This paper investigates how intense circularly polarized light affects the behavior of quasiparticles and surface plasmon-polaritons in graphene, revealing hybrid wave formation and potential for experimental Zitterbewegung studies.

Contribution

It provides a systematic analysis of hybrid surface waves in graphene under circularly polarized light using a microscopic conductivity model.

Findings

Formation of propagating hybrid surface waves in graphene

Modification of plasmon-polariton dispersion relations

Potential for experimental observation of Zitterbewegung

Abstract

A monolayer of graphene irradiated with circularly polarized light suggests a unique platform for surface electromagnetic wave (plasmon-polariton) manipulation. In fact, the time periodicity of the Hamiltonian leads to a geometric Aharonov-Anandan phase and results in a photovoltaic Hall effect in graphene, creating off-diagonal components of the conductivity tensor. The latter drastically changes the dispersion relation of surface plasmon-polaritons, leading to hybrid wave generation. In this paper we present a systematic and self-contained analysis of the hybrid surface waves obtained from Maxwell equations based on a microscopic formula for the conductivity. We consider a practical example of graphene sandwiched between two dielectric media and show that in the one-photon approximation there is formation of propagating hybrid surface waves. From this analysis emerges the possibility of a reliable experimental realization to study Zitterbewegung of charge carriers of graphene.