Orbital Angular Momentum Beam assisted High-Order Harmonic Generation in Semiconductor Materials

TL;DR

This paper explores how light beams with orbital angular momentum influence high harmonic generation in semiconductors, combining theoretical models to match experimental results and highlighting potential technological applications.

Contribution

It introduces a combined theoretical approach to simulate OAM transfer in HHG within semiconductors, aligning with experimental data and advancing understanding of light-solid interactions.

Findings

The model reproduces experimental harmonic features in ZnO.

OAM transfer is conserved in high harmonic generation.

Potential for developing structured XUV sources.

Abstract

We investigate the use of light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) in the context of high harmonic generation (HHG) within semiconductor crystals. Our contribution deals with the transfer and conservation of OAM in the strong-field regime, from the driving laser field to the generated harmonics. To this end, in this work, we combine the semiconductor Bloch equations with the thin slab model to simulate the generation of high-order harmonics in semiconductor media and to compute the features of the far-field harmonics. We demonstrate that this theoretical approach is capable of satisfactorily reproducing previously published experimental features of the generated harmonics in ZnO driven by a Laguerre-Gauss beam. Our research not only deepens the understanding of light-solid interactions but also heralds the dawn of bright, structured XUV coherent radiation sources with unparalleled potential across diverse technological areas, paving the way for enhanced functionalities in fields such as microscopy, spectroscopy, and optical communication.