Singular high-harmonic transport above a quantum threshold

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 $n\omega$ produced by the applied electric field $E$ at fundamental frequency $\omega$. Our work offers a promising route to THz generation based on frequency multiplication in solids.

6 pages, 4 figures + Ref and SM