Ultrafast Electronic Disordering During Femtosecond Laser Melting of GaAs

Citation:

P. N. Saeta, J. Kai Wang, Y. Siegal, N. Bloembergen, and E. Mazur. 1991. “Ultrafast Electronic Disordering During Femtosecond Laser Melting of GaAs.” Phys. Rev. Lett., 67, Pp. 1023–1026. Publisher's Version

Abstract:

We have observed an ultrarapid electronic phase transformation to a centrosymmetric electronic state during laser excitation of GaAs with intense femtosecond pulses. Reflection second-harmonic intensity from the upper 90 atomic layers vanishes within 100 fs; reflectivity rises within 0.5 ps to a steady value characteristic of a metallic molten phase, long before phonon emission can heat the lattice to the melting temperature.
Last updated on 07/24/2019