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Nonequilibrium states of quantum materials can exhibit exotic properties and enable unprecedented functionality and applications. These transient states are inherently inhomogeneous, characterized by the formation of topologically protected…
Inspired by some recent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and experiments on suspended graphene nanoribbons, we study a simplified model where the atoms are disposed in a rectangular lattice coupled by nearest neighbor interactions which…
Ultrafast light pulses can modify the electronic properties of quantum materials by perturbing the underlying, intertwined degrees of freedom. In particular, iron-based superconductors exhibit a strong coupling among electronic nematic…
There is growing interest in using ultrafast light pulses to drive functional materials into nonequilibrium states with novel properties. The conventional wisdom is that above gap photoexcitation behaves similarly to raising the electronic…
The lattice properties at low temperatures of two samples of NdFeAsO1-xFx (x=0.05 and 0.25) have been examined in order to investigate possible structural phase transition that may occur in the optimally doped superconducting sample with…
Recent advances in electron microscopy trigger the question whether attosecond electron diffraction can resolve atomic-scale electron dynamics in crystalline materials in space and time. Here we explore the physics of the relevant…
The mechanism of electron pairing in high-temperature superconductors is still the subject of intense debate. Here, we provide direct evidence of the role of structural dynamics, with selective atomic motions (buckling of copper-oxygen…
Metals exhibit nonequilibrium electron and lattice subsystems at transient times following femtosecond laser excitation. In the past four decades, various optical spectroscopy and time-resolved diffraction methods have been used to study…
Diffusion of heat in metals is a fundamental process which is crucial for a variety of applications of metal nanostructures. Surprisingly, however, {\em ultrafast} heat diffusion received only limited attention so far. Here, we show that…
Nanoscale objects moving relative to a thermal radiation bath experience a drag force due to the imbalance in their interaction with the blue- and redshifted components of the electromagnetic field. Here, we show that, in addition to this…
Ultrafast nanophotonics is an emerging research field aimed at the development of nanodevices capable of light modulation with unprecedented speed. A promising approach exploits the optical nonlinearity of nanostructured materials (either…
Deviations from the perfect atomic arrangements in crystals play an important role in affecting their properties. Similarly, diffusion of such deviations is behind many microstructural changes in solids. However, observation of point defect…
Efficient excitation and harvesting of hot carriers from nanoscale metals is central to many emerging photochemical, photovoltaic, and ultrafast optoelectronic applications. Yet direct experimental evidence of the relevant femtosecond…
The exploration of the rich dynamics of electrons is a frontier in fundamental nano-physics. The dynamical behavior of electrons is dominated by random and chaotic thermal motion with ultrafast ($\approx$ ps) and nanoscale scatterings. This…
Ta$_{3}$N$_{5}$ is among the most intensively studied photoanode materials for solar-driven water oxidation, yet its performance often remains limited by short carrier lifetimes and defect mediated recombination. Although transient…
The description of carrier dynamics in spatially confined semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), which have enhanced electron-hole and exciton-phonon interactions, is a great challenge for modern computational science. These NCs typically…
The ultrafast thermal and mechanical dynamics of a two-dimensional lattice of metallic nano-disks has been studied by near infrared pump-probe diffraction measurements, over a temporal range spanning from 100 fs to several nanoseconds. The…
We analyze in detail the heating of bosonic atoms in an optical lattice due to incoherent scattering of light from the lasers forming the lattice. Because atoms scattered into higher bands do not thermalize on the timescale of typical…
Hot carriers are energetic photo-excited carriers driving a large range of chemico-physical mechanisms. At the nanoscale, an efficient generation of these carriers is facilitated by illuminating plasmonic antennas. However, the ultrafast…
The theory of nucleation of nanoscale structures of the adsorbed atoms (adatoms), which occurs as a result of the self-consistent interaction of adatoms with the surface acoustic wave and electronic subsystem is developed. Temperature…