BLOCH ELECTRON DYNAMICS IN SPATIALLY HOMOGENEOUS ELECTRIC FIELDS

The theory of Bloch electron dynamics in spatially homogeneous electric fields of arbitrary strength and time dependence is presented. In the formalism, the electric field is described through the use of the vector potential, and the instantaneous eigenstates of the Hamiltonian are used as basis stated to depict the Bloch dynamics and quantum properties. This approach leads to a natural indication of high- and low-filed limits, and allows for the inclusion of general band-structure effects and multiband coupling in the quantum dynamics. A variety of dc electric field effects, such as Bloch oscillations, Zener tunneling, and localization, and ac electric field effects, such as interband absorption, and phonon-assisted transport, will be discussed.