Theory of electronic band structure in intense laser fields

Abstract

The nonlinear interaction of laser radiation with crystalline solids results in a modified band structure which is a natural extension of the usual Bloch picture. A theoretical discussion is presented in which the existence of field-induced gaps is predicted. Applications to model systems such as the Kronig-Penney model are presented. Examination of realistic systems such as the narrow band gap semiconductors suggest that the effect is large and should be readily observable with currently available laser sources.