Structural Phase Transition of Aluminum Induced by Electronic Excitation

Journal Article · Mon May 08 04:00:00 EDT 2000 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.4493· OSTI ID:20216444

Guo, C; Rodriguez, G; Lobad, A; Taylor, A J

The dynamics of a structural phase transition induced by interband electronic excitation in aluminum is studied by determining the time evolution of the dielectric constant at 1.55 eV through the measurement of the transient reflectivity induced by an ultrafast pump pulse. The threshold fluence and the time scale for this transition are significantly less than the values necessary for ultrafast heat-induced melting, indicating that this phase change is caused by band structure collapse and lattice instability resulting from strong electronic excitation. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.

• OSTI ID: 20216444
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 19 Vol. 84; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DIELECTRIC TENSOR
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
EXCITATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HARMONIC GENERATION
LASER RADIATION
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
REFLECTIVITY
TIME DEPENDENCE