Solvated electrons in polar liquids as epsilon-near-zero materials tunable in the terahertz frequency range

Electrons in polar liquids give rise to a polaron resonance at a terahertz (THz) frequency ν_0 depending on electron concentration. The impact of this resonance on light propagation is studied in experiments, where a femtosecond pump pulse generates electrons via multiphoton ionization and a THz probe pulse propagated through the excited sample is detected in a phase-resolved way. We observe a behavior characteristic for epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials with strongly modified phase and group velocities around ν_0, and a broadening of the THz pulse envelope below ν_0. Calculations based on a local-field approach reproduce the ENZ behavior.