High visibility in two-color above-threshold photoemission from tungsten nanotips in a coherent control scheme

J Mod Opt. 2017 Jun 17;64(10-11):1054-1060. doi: 10.1080/09500340.2017.1281453. Epub 2017 Jan 29.

Abstract

In this article, we present coherent control of above-threshold photoemission from a tungsten nanotip achieving nearly perfect modulation. Depending on the pulse delay between fundamental ([Formula: see text]) and second harmonic ([Formula: see text]) pulses of a femtosecond fiber laser at the nanotip, electron emission is significantly enhanced or depressed during temporal overlap. Electron emission is studied as a function of pulse delay, optical near-field intensities, DC bias field and final photoelectron energy. Under optimized conditions modulation amplitudes of the electron emission of 97.5% are achieved. Experimental observations are discussed in the framework of quantum-pathway interference supported by local density of states simulations.

Keywords: Nanotip; density functional theory; electron emitter; two-color laser field.

Grants and funding

This project was funded in part by the ERC [grant number ‘Near Field Atto’]; DFG [SPP 1840 ‘QUTIF’]; the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) within the special research [project number SFB-041 ‘ViCoM’ and SFB-049 ‘Next Lite’], [project number P21141-N16]. M.F. and G.W. acknowledge support by the IMPRS-APS.