Rui E. F. Silva

Abstract:

The recent discovery of high harmonic generation in solids [1], merging the fields of strong field and condensed matter physics, opened the door for the direct observation of Bloch oscillations [1], all-optical reconstruction of the band structure [2] and direct observation of the influence of the Berry curvature in the optical response [3]. In this work, we will focus on high harmonic generation in strongly correlated and topological materials. First, I will show how high harmonic spectroscopy can be used to induce and time resolve insulator-to-metal transitions in strongly correlated materials, using the Hubbard model [4]. I will further demonstrate how high harmonic spectroscopy can be used to identify topological phases of matter and how the Berry curvature leaves its fingerprint in the nonlinear optical response of the material [5]. Using a combination of w-2w counter-rotating strong circular fields, we demonstrate that we are able to induce valley polarization in hexagonal 2D materials and use HHG spectroscopy to read the valley polarization [6]. At last, I will show how the use of Wannier orbitals can be useful in the calculation of the nonlinear optical response of solids [7].

References:

[1] S. Ghimire et al., Nat. Phys., 7 138-141 (2011)

[2] G. Vampa et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 115 193603 (2015)

[3] H. Liu et al., Nat. Phys., 13 262-265 (2017)

[4] R. E. F. Silva, I. Blinov, A. Rubtsov, O. Smirnova and M. Ivanov, Nat. Phot., 12 266-270 (2018)

[5] R. E. F. Silva, Á. Jiménez-Galán, B. Amorim, O. Smirnova, M. Ivanov, Nat. Phot., 13 849-854 (2019)

[6] Á. Jiménez-Galán, R. E. F. Silva, O. Smirnova, M. Ivanov, Nat. Phot. Nat. Phot. 14 728-732 (2020)

[7] R. E. F. Silva, F. Martin, M. Ivanov, Phys. Rev. B, 100 195201 (2019)

Short bio:

Rui Ferreira da Silva is a theoretical physicist, specialised in the behaviour of matter under optical excitation in the strong-field regime. He graduated BSc from the University of Porto in 2010, pursuing to MSc in theoretical and computational chemistry in Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Spain. In 2012, he began his PhD work on the “Study of diatomic molecules under intense laser pulses” in the group of Prof. Fernando Martín (UAM). During this time, he specialised in quantum dynamics’ simulation of systems subjected to strong electric field excitations. After his PhD, in 2016, he moved to the Max-Born Institut in Berlin to work in Prof. Mikhail Ivanov’s group studying the high-harmonic generation in solid-state targets. In 2018, he integrated the MMUSCLES group, led by Johannes Feist, to start studying ultrafast molecular polaritonics. In 2021, he was awarded with the LaCaixa Junior Leader - Retaining fellowship to start his own group at the Instituto de Ciencias de Materiales de Madrid.