Dephasing Dynamics Accessed by High Harmonic Generation: Determination of Electron–Hole Decoherence of Dirac Fermions

Abstract

We reveal the critical effect of ultrashort dephasing on the polarization of high harmonic generation in Dirac fermions. As the elliptically polarized laser pulse falls in or slightly beyond the multiphoton regime, the elliptically polarized high harmonic generation is produced and exhibits a characteristic polarimetry of the polarization ellipse, which is found to depend on the decoherence time T-2. T-2 could then be determined to be a few femtoseconds directly from the experimentally observed polarimetry of high harmonics. This shows a sharp contrast with the semimetal regime of higher pump intensity, where the polarimetry is irrelevant to T-2. An access to the dephasing dynamics would extend the prospect of high harmonic generation into the metrology of a femtosecond dynamic process in the coherent quantum control.