Ultrafast electronic disorder in heat-induced structural deformations and phase transitions in metals

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 2000 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.62.5382· OSTI ID:20217473

Guo, Chunlei ^[1]; Taylor, Antoinette J ^[1]

---

1. Condensed Matter and Thermal Physics Group, Mail Stop K764, Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

Heat-induced structural deformations and phase transitions of gold and silver are studied using 1.55-eV, 120-fs ultrashort laser pulses. The dynamics of the heating process is monitored by measuring the time evolution of the dielectric constants following optical excitation. Intensity-dependent dielectric constants in silver and gold show similarities with the photon-energy-dependent dielectric constants, which is shown to indirectly map out the degree of heat-induced electronic disorder in these noble metals. This observation strongly suggests that the heat-induced structural deformations and phase transitions in metals are tied to the electronic disorder and band-structure collapse. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.

• OSTI ID: 20217473
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Journal Name: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 62; ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BAND THEORY
CRYSTAL-PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
DEFORMATION
DIELECTRIC TENSOR
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GOLD
LASER-RADIATION HEATING
ORDER-DISORDER TRANSFORMATIONS
PERMITTIVITY
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHOTON COLLISIONS
SILVER