Determine the microscopic origin of dephasing in solid-state HHG

Determine the dominant contribution to dephasing and identify the exact underlying mechanism responsible for dephasing in solid-state high-harmonic generation.

Background

The paper explains that solid-state high-harmonic-generation simulations often represent loss of interband coherence with a phenomenological dephasing time, while real materials involve multiple possible contributions, including temperature, phonon scattering, carrier interactions, and macroscopic propagation. A spatially and momentum-independent dephasing time can reproduce measured spectra but may absorb effects that are not genuine microscopic dephasing. Consequently, determining which processes dominate the observed dephasing and clarifying their precise physical origin remain unresolved.

References

However, at the time of writing, the dominant contribution to the dephasing and the exact underlying mechanism is still uncertain.

— Transient High-Harmonic Generation from Solids: From Spectroscopy and Control to Programmable Emission  (2609.20085 - Essen et al., 17 Sep 2026) in Section 2, subsection “Solid High-Harmonic Generation”

At the same time, many fundamental questions remain open. In particular, the microscopic origin of dephasing, the interplay between electronic correlations and strong-field dynamics, and the role of propagation and collective effects still require substantially deeper understanding.

— Transient High-Harmonic Generation from Solids: From Spectroscopy and Control to Programmable Emission  (2609.20085 - Essen et al., 17 Sep 2026) in Section “Conclusion and Outlook”