Ultrafast Science, Volume. 3, Issue 1, 0007(2023)
Ultrafast Martensitic Phase Transition Driven by Intense Terahertz Pulses
We report on an ultrafast nonequilibrium phase transition with a strikingly long-lived martensitic anomaly driven by above-threshold single-cycle terahertz pulses with a peak field of more than 1 MV/cm. A nonthermal, terahertz-induced depletion of low-frequency conductivity in Nb3Sn indicates increased gap splitting of high-energy Γ12 bands by removal of their degeneracies, which induces the martensitic phase above their equilibrium transition temperature. In contrast, optical pumping leads to a Γ12 gap thermal melting. Such light-induced nonequilibrium martensitic phase exhibits a substantially enhanced critical temperature up to ∼100 K, i.e., more than twice the equilibrium temperature, and can be stabilized beyond technologically relevant, nanosecond time scales. Together with first-principle simulations, we identify a compelling terahertz tuning mechanism of structural order via Γ12 phonons to achieve the ultrafast phase transition to a metastable electronic state out of equilibrium at high temperatures far exceeding those for equilibrium states.
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B. Q. Song, X. Yang, C. Sundahl, J.-H. Kang, M. Mootz, Y. Yao, I. E. Perakis, L. Luo, C. B. Eom, J. Wang. Ultrafast Martensitic Phase Transition Driven by Intense Terahertz Pulses[J]. Ultrafast Science, 2023, 3(1): 0007
Category: Research Articles
Received: Aug. 2, 2022
Accepted: Dec. 1, 2022
Published Online: Dec. 4, 2023
The Author Email: Wang J. (jgwang@ameslab.gov)