Directional Photocurrent Generated by Quantum Interference Control
Abstract
Although the absorption of light in a bulk homogeneous semiconductor produces photocarriers with nonzero momenta, it generally does not produce a current in the absence of an applied electric field because equal amounts of carriers with opposite momenta are injected. The interference of absorption processes, for example, between one-photon and two-photon absorption can produce a current because constructive interference for carriers with one momentum can correspond to destructive interference for carriers with the opposite momentum. We show that for the interference between two-photon and three-photon absorption, the current has a narrower angular spread, i.e., a "beam" of electrons in a specified direction is produced in the semiconductor.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Laser-Matter Interactions and Applications
Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect
Quantum chaos and dynamical systems
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Physical Review Letters
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Volume
- 137
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 036901–036901
- Publication date
- 17 June 2026
- Language
- EN