Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: We show that Landau-Zener tunneling in a small-gap insulator produces a singular DC current--voltage relation, and correspondingly, strong high-harmonic generation in AC transport. Remarkably, high-harmonic responses decrease subexponentially with harmonic order, which is parametrically slower than in ordinary conductors and PN diodes. We further derive a scaling law for the current amplitude at frequency $nω$ produced by the applied electric field $E$ at fundamental frequency $ω$. Our work offers a promising route to THz generation based on frequency multiplication in solids.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Onishi, Yugo, Xu, Su-Yang, Fu, Liang
Institutions: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7213945617