I. Katayama, H. Kawakami, T. Hagiwara, Y. Arashida, Y. Minami, L.-W. Nien, O. S. Handegard, T. Nagao, M. Kitajima, and J. Takeda
Terahertz-field-induced carrier generation processes were investigated in Dirac electron systems, single-crystalline bismuth antimony alloy thin films (Bi1−xSbx; 0≤x≤0.16). This investigation was performed by precisely tuning, via the substituent ratio x, the band structure of the films from that associated with a semimetal to that characteristic of a narrow-gap semiconductor. Terahertz-field-induced absorption was clearly observed within a few picoseconds after the terahertz pump-pulse illumination of Bi1−xSbx semimetal and semiconductor samples. The field-strength dependence of the induced absorption was compared with the calculated Zener tunneling probability in the Dirac-like band dispersion. Through this comparison, the mechanism of the induced absorption was attributed to the carrier generation via the terahertz-field-induced Zener tunneling. The tunneling occurred in subpicosecond timescales even at room temperature, demonstrating that Bi1−xSbx thin films are promising for future high-speed electronics and the investigation of universal ultrafast tunneling dynamics.
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