Rydberg Excitons in Cuprous Oxide

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Jörg Main
• Subject Area: Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 444662951

The aim of this proposal is to advance from the theoretical point of view our understanding of excitons in cuprous oxide in various situations which are currently hot topics in experimental investigations. Exact quantum computations for magnetoexcitons are restricted to states with low principal quantum numbers. We want to extend the computation of spectra to the very challenging regime of high excitation energy by developing a semiclassical closed-orbit theory for magnetoexcitons based on an adiabatic approach for the electron-hole dynamics. Another goal is the simulation of second harmonic generation (SHG) spectroscopy for field-free Rydberg excitons and also for excitons in external magnetic and electric fields, and the interpretation of yet unexplained features observed in the experimental SHG spectra. Furthermore, we want to study the excitation of excitons by orbital angular momentum light, excitons confined to quantum wells, and interseries transitions, e.g., between bound states of the yellowexciton series and autoionizing resonance states of the green exciton series. The theoretical results shall always be compared with the results of our experimental colleagues.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants