Sub-cycle strong-field tunneling dynamics in solids

Abstract

Tunneling ionization is a crucial process in the interaction between strong laser fields and matter which initiates numerous nonlinear phenomena including high-order harmonic generation, photoelectron holography, etc. Both adiabatic and nonadiabatic tunneling ionization are well understood in atomic systems. However, the tunneling dynamics in solids, especially nonadiabatic tunneling, has not yet been fully understood. Here, we study the sub-cycle resolved strong-field tunneling dynamics in solids via a complex saddle-point method. We compare the instantaneous momentum at the moment of tunneling and the tunneling distances over a range of Keldysh parameters. Our results demonstrate that for nonadiabatic tunneling, tunneling ionization away from Γ point is possible. When this happens the electron has a nonzero initial velocity when it emerges in the conduction band. Moreover, consistent with atomic tunneling, a reduced tunneling distance as compared to the quasi-static case is found. Our results provide remarkable insight into the basic physics governing the sub-cycle electron tunneling dynamics with significant implications for understanding subsequent strong-field nonlinear phenomena in solids.