Revivals of Zitterbewegung in the Bernevig—Hughes—Zhang model in the quantum spin Hall regime with a laser pulse

Abstract

We theoretically investigate the Zitterbewegung (ZB) behavior of electrons in the Bernevig—Hughes—Zhang model with a short laser pulse. To obtain a steady picture, we fix the electron on the Landau levels with a magnetic field. The ZB motion and the electromagnetic radiations in the quantum spin Hall regime are given. We find that over a shorter time, the electromagnetic radiations show a quasi-classical cyclotron oscillation, while over a longer time, they exhibit a clear revival picture. The resulting revival time and excited electric field are large enough to make experimental detection accessible.