High-harmonic spectroscopy of quantum phase transitions in a high-Tc superconductor

TY - JOUR

T1 - High-harmonic spectroscopy of quantum phase transitions in a high-Tc superconductor

AU - Alcalà, Jordi

AU - Bhattacharya, Utso

AU - Biegert, Jens

AU - Ciappina, Marcelo

AU - Elu, Ugaitz

AU - Graß, Tobias

AU - Grochowski, Piotr T.

AU - Lewenstein, Maciej

AU - Palau, Anna

AU - Sidiropoulos, Themistoklis P. H.

AU - Steinle, Tobias

AU - Tyulnev, Igor

PY - 2022/9/26

Y1 - 2022/9/26

N2 - We report on the nonlinear optical signatures of quantum phase transitions in the high-temperature superconductor YBCO, observed through high harmonic generation. While the linear optical response of the material is largely unchanged when cooling across the phase transitions, the nonlinear optical response sensitively imprints two critical points, one at the critical temperature of the cuprate with the exponential growth of the surface harmonic yield in the superconducting phase and another critical point, which marks the transition from strange metal to pseudogap phase. To reveal the underlying microscopic quantum dynamics, a strong-field quasi-Hubbard model was developed, which describes the measured optical response dependent on the formation of Cooper pairs. Further, the theory provides insight into the carrier scattering dynamics and allows us to differentiate between the superconducting, pseudogap, and strange metal phases. The direct connection between nonlinear optical response and microscopic dynamics provides a powerful methodology to study quantum phase transitions in correlated materials. Further implications are light wave control over intricate quantum phases, light–matter hybrids, and application for optical quantum computing.

AB - We report on the nonlinear optical signatures of quantum phase transitions in the high-temperature superconductor YBCO, observed through high harmonic generation. While the linear optical response of the material is largely unchanged when cooling across the phase transitions, the nonlinear optical response sensitively imprints two critical points, one at the critical temperature of the cuprate with the exponential growth of the surface harmonic yield in the superconducting phase and another critical point, which marks the transition from strange metal to pseudogap phase. To reveal the underlying microscopic quantum dynamics, a strong-field quasi-Hubbard model was developed, which describes the measured optical response dependent on the formation of Cooper pairs. Further, the theory provides insight into the carrier scattering dynamics and allows us to differentiate between the superconducting, pseudogap, and strange metal phases. The direct connection between nonlinear optical response and microscopic dynamics provides a powerful methodology to study quantum phase transitions in correlated materials. Further implications are light wave control over intricate quantum phases, light–matter hybrids, and application for optical quantum computing.

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.2207766119

DO - 10.1073/pnas.2207766119

M3 - 文章

C2 - 36161921

SN - 0027-8424

VL - 119

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

IS - 40

ER -