Photoinduced insulator-metal transition in correlated electrons - A Floquet analysis with the dynamical mean-field theory

Abstract

In order to investigate photoinduced insulator-metal transitions observed in correlated electron systems, we propose a new theoretical method, where we combine a Floquet-matrix method for AC-driven systems with the dynamical mean-field theory. The method can treat nonequilibrium steady states exactly beyond the linear-response regime. We have applied the method to the Falicov-Kimball model coupled to AC electric fields, and numerically obtained the spectral function, the nonequilibrium distribution function and the current-voltage characteristic. The results show that intense AC fields indeed drive Mott-like insulating states into photoinduced metallic states in a nonlinear way. © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd.