Ultrafast Melting of a Charge-Density Wave in the Mott Insulator 1TTaS2

S. Hellmann, M. Beye, C. Sohrt, T. Rohwer, F. Sorgenfrei, H. Redlin, M. Kalläne, M. Marczynski-Bühlow, F. Hennies, M. Bauer, A. Föhlisch, L. Kipp, W. Wurth, and K. Rossnagel
Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 187401 – Published 27 October 2010

Abstract

Femtosecond time-resolved core-level photoemission spectroscopy with a free-electron laser is used to measure the atomic-site specific charge-order dynamics of the charge-density wave in the Mott insulator 1TTaS2. After strong photoexcitation, a prompt loss of charge order and subsequent fast equilibration dynamics of the electron-lattice system are observed. On the time scale of electron-phonon thermalization, about 1 ps, the system is driven across a phase transition from a long-range charge ordered state to a quasiequilibrium state with domainlike short-range charge and lattice order. The experiment opens the way to study the nonequilibrium dynamics of condensed matter systems with full elemental, chemical, and atomic-site selectivity.

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  • Received 23 April 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.187401

© 2010 The American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

S. Hellmann1, M. Beye2,*, C. Sohrt1, T. Rohwer1, F. Sorgenfrei2, H. Redlin4, M. Kalläne1, M. Marczynski-Bühlow1, F. Hennies3, M. Bauer1, A. Föhlisch2,†, L. Kipp1, W. Wurth2, and K. Rossnagel1,‡

  • 1Institute for Experimental and Applied Physics, University of Kiel, 24098 Kiel, Germany
  • 2Institute for Experimental Physics and Centre for Free-Electron Laser Science, University of Hamburg, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
  • 3MAX-lab, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
  • 4Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, DESY, 22607 Hamburg, Germany

  • *Present address: Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Berlin, Germany.
  • Present address: Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Berlin, Germany and Universität Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
  • rossnagel@physik.uni-kiel.de

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Issue

Vol. 105, Iss. 18 — 29 October 2010

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