Second and third harmonic generation in topological insulator-based van der Waals metamaterials

Alessandra Di Gaspare; Sara Ghayeb Zamharir; Craig Knox; Ahmet Yagmur; Satoshi Sasaki; Mohammed Salih; Lianhe Li; Edmund H. Linfield; Joshua Freeman; Miriam S. Vitiello

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-01847-5

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Second and third harmonic generation in topological insulator-based van der Waals metamaterials

Original Articles

- Second and third harmonic generation in topological insulator-based van der Waals metamaterials
- Light: Science & Applications Vol. 14, Issue 11, Pages: 3581-3593(2025)
- Affiliations：
  
  1.NEST, CNR-NANO and Scuola Normale Superiore, 56127 Pisa, Italy
  2.School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
  3.School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
- Author bio：
  
  Miriam S. Vitiello (miriam.vitiello@sns.it)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-01847-5
  CLC：
- Received：22 October 2024，
  
  Revised：2025-03-06，
  
  Accepted：21 March 2025，
  
  Published Online：22 September 2025，
  
  Published：30 November 2025
- Accepted：
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Di Gaspare, A. et al. Second and third harmonic generation in topological insulator-based van der Waals metamaterials. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 3581-3593 (2025).
DOI：

Di Gaspare, A. et al. Second and third harmonic generation in topological insulator-based van der Waals metamaterials. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 3581-3593 (2025). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-01847-5.

摘要

Abstract

High-order harmonic generation (HHG) in solids—the frequen

cy up-conversion of an optical signal—is governed by symmetries. At terahertz (THz) frequencies

HHG is a key technology to access high-frequency spectral windows that are usually difficult to cover using conventional solid-state laser technologies. This effect has been recently exploited in graphene

where HHG has been demonstrated

albeit only at odd multiples of the driving frequency owing to its inherent centro-symmetry. In topological insulators (TIs)

the combination of spin–orbit interaction and time-reversal symmetry create an insulating bulk state with an inverted band order

inseparably connected with conducting surface states. TIs have been predicted to support unconventional high harmonic generation from the bulk and topological surface

which are usually difficult to distinguish. However

no experimental results have been reported

so far. Here

we exploit the strong optical field amplification provided by an array of single or double split ring resonators

with embedded Bi

or (In

(1−

)

/Bi

Van der Waals heterostructures

to achieve up-conversion in the 6.4 (even)–9.7 (odd) THz frequency range. This results from bulk centro-symmetry (odd states) and symmetry breaking in the topological surface states (odd and even).

关键词

Keywords

references

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