Abstract

In the absence of scattering mechanisms, a crystal electron subjected to a homogeneous electric field undergoes a periodic motion in both momentum and real space.¹ This oscillatory motion is known as Bloch oscillations (BOs) and has recently been detected in transient four-wave mixing (FWM) and Tera-Hertz emission experiments on semiconductor superlattices.^2,3 It is generally assumed that the minimum field required for the observation of BOs is controlled by the rate of scattering in the material.⁴ However, an experimental verification of this point is still lacking.

© 1994 Optical Society of America