Optical Properties in Non-equilibrium Phase Transitions

Journal Article · Thu Jan 05 00:00:00 EST 2006 · Physical Review Letters, vol. 96, no. 05, February 10, 2006, pp. 5001

OSTI ID:889982

Ao, T; Ping, Y; Widmann, K; Price, D F; Lee, E; Tam, H; Springer, P T; Ng, A

An open question about the dynamical behavior of materials is how phase transition occurs in highly non-equilibrium systems. One important class of study is the excitation of a solid by an ultrafast, intense laser. The preferential heating of electrons by the laser field gives rise to initial states dominated by hot electrons in a cold lattice. Using a femtosecond laser pump-probe approach, we have followed the temporal evolution of the optical properties of such a system. The results show interesting correlation to non-thermal melting and lattice disordering processes. They also reveal a liquid-plasma transition when the lattice energy density reaches a critical value.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 889982
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JRNL-218075; TRN: US0604515
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, vol. 96, no. 05, February 10, 2006, pp. 5001, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters, vol. 96, no. 05, February 10, 2006, pp. 5001
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
42 ENGINEERING
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ELECTRONS
ENERGY DENSITY
EXCITATION
HEATING
LASERS
MELTING
OPTICAL PROPERTIES