Coherent Dynamics of Floquet-Bloch States in Monolayer WS2 Reveals Fast Adiabatic Switching

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that ultrafast femtosecond laser pulses can induce adiabatic Floquet-Bloch states in monolayer WS2, with energy shifts linearly dependent on instantaneous intensity, confirming Floquet theory applicability with ultrashort drives.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence that femtosecond pulses can realize Floquet engineering in 2D materials without non-adiabatic effects, showing linear energy shifts with ultrafast fields.

Findings

Adiabatic evolution observed with femtosecond pulses in WS2.

Energy shifts follow linear dependence on instantaneous intensity.

Finite pulse duration does not violate Floquet formalism.

Abstract

Floquet engineering offers a path to optically-controlled materials, but experimental implementations have frequently relied on femtosecond pulses to achieve the high peak fields required to maximise interactions and obtain a measurable response. The Floquet formalism, however, is based on a continuous, periodic drive. Here we use femtosecond laser pulses to drive the optical Stark effect, a simple realization of Floquet engineering, in monolayer WS2. By monitoring the coherent evolution of the free-induction decay, we show that the system evolves adiabatically, and that the finite duration of the pulses does not introduce any effects beyond Floquet theory. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the induced energy shift follows a linear dependence on instantaneous intensity, even for ultrafast driving fields of fewer than 15 optical cycles.