Strong-field dynamics of finite-dimensional solids monitored by attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy

In solids of finite dimension driven by intense NIR pulses, the edge states adjacent to the valence and conduction bands have been shown to decisively impact the resulting strong-field dynamics, with observable features in the emitted HHG spectrum [1]. Here, we investigate the signatures of these strong-field dynamics in the attosecond transient absorption spectrum, when an XUV or x-ray pulse, suitably delayed from the NIR pulse, is used to monitor the evolution of the system. We employ time-dependent density functional theory to simulate the strong-field dynamics undergone by the finite-dimensional solid and identify features in the spectrum associated with edge states.

[1] D. Bauer and K. K. Hansen, PRL 120, 177401 (2018); K. K. Hansen, D. Bauer, and L. B. Madsen, PRA 97, 043424 (2018).