Chiral high-harmonic generation and spectroscopy on solid surfaces using polarization-tailored strong fields

Strong-field methods in solids enable new strategies for ultrafast nonlinear spectroscopy and provide all-optical insights into the electronic properties of condensed matter in reciprocal and real space. Additionally, solid-state media offers unprecedented possibilities to control high-harmonic generation using modified targets or tailored excitation fields. Here we merge these important points and demonstrate circularly-polarized high-harmonic generation with polarization-matched excitation fields for spectroscopy of chiral electronic properties at surfaces. The sensitivity of our approach is demonstrated for structural helicity and termination-mediated ferromagnetic order at the surface of silicon-dioxide and magnesium oxide, respectively. Circularly polarized radiation emanating from a solid sample now allows to add basic symmetry properties as chirality to the arsenal of strong-field spectroscopy in solids. Together with its inherent temporal (femtosecond) resolution and non-resonant broadband spectrum, the polarization control of high harmonics from condensed matter can illuminate ultrafast and strong field dynamics of surfaces, buried layers or thin films. Strong nonlinearities in solid state materials can lead to interesting applications in photonics. Here the authors study chiral high-harmonic generation at SiO2 and MgO surfaces using bi-circular two-color driving fields and extract information on crystal properties.

Automated summary

Strong-field methods in solids provide new strategies for ultrafast nonlinear spectroscopy and all-optical insights into electronic properties. Circularly-polarized high-harmonic generation with polarization-matched excitation fields allows for spectroscopy of chiral electronic properties at surfaces. The study demonstrates the potential for polarization control of high harmonics in condensed matter to reveal ultrafast and strong field dynamics of surfaces.