Abstract Strong light fields have created opportunities to tailor novel functionalities of solids1,2,3,4,5. Floquet–Bloch states can form under periodic driving of electrons and enable exotic quantum phases6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15. On subcycle timescales, lightwaves can simultaneously drive intraband currents16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29 and interband transitions18,19,30,31, which enable high-harmonic generation16,18,19,21,22,25,28,29,30 and pave the way towards ultrafast electronics.
