Related papers: Coherent Light Control of a Metastable Hidden Phas…
"Hidden phases" are metastable collective states of matter that are typically not accessible on equilibrium phase diagrams. These phases can host exotic properties in otherwise conventional materials and hence may enable novel functionality…
The phenomenon of metastability can shape dynamical processes on all temporal and spatial scales. Here, we induce metastable dynamics by pumping ultracold bosonic atoms from the lowest band of an optical lattice to an excitation band, via a…
Upon excitation with an intense ultrafast laser pulse, a symmetry-broken ground state can undergo a non-equilibrium phase transition through pathways dissimilar from those in thermal equilibrium. Determining the mechanism underlying these…
Photo-induced phase-transitions (PIPTs) driven by highly cooperative interactions are of fundamental interest as they offer a way to tune and control material properties on ultrafast timescales. Due to strong correlations and interactions,…
Photo-induced switching between collective quantum states of matter is a fascinating rising field with exciting opportunities for novel technologies. Presently very intensively studied examples in this regard are nanometer-thick single…
The dynamics of the photoinduced commensurate to incommensurate charge density wave (CDW) phase transition in 4Hb-TaSe2 are investigated by femtosecond electron diffraction. In the perturbative regime the CDW reforms on a 150 ps timescale,…
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…
1T-TaS$_2$ is known for it's remarkably complex phase diagram and it's unique long-lived metastable hidden (H) state. Recently, a novel metastable state has been discovered using higher fluences for photoexcitation than in the case of the H…
A supersolid is a fascinating phase of matter, combining the global phase coherence of a superfluid with hallmarks of solids, e.g. a spontaneous breaking of the translational symmetry. Recently, states with such counter-intuitive properties…
Metastability is ubiquitous in diverse complex systems. In open quantum systems, metastability offers protection against dissipation and decoherence, yet its application in quantum batteries remains unexplored. We propose a solid-state open…
The dynamics of exciton formation in transition metal dichalcogenides is difficult to measure experimentally, since many momentum-indirect exciton states are not accessible to optical interband spectroscopy. Here, we combine a tuneable…
Despite recent advances in active metaoptics, wide dynamic range combined with high-speed reconfigurable solutions is still elusive. Phase-change materials (PCMs) offer a compelling platform for metasurface optical elements, owing to the…
We describe optimized coherent control methods for two-photon transitions in atoms of a ladder-type three-state energy configuration. Our approach is based on the spatial coherent control scheme which utilizes counter-propagating ultrashort…
The fundamental idea that the constituents of interacting many body systems in complex quantum materials may self-organise into long range order under highly non-equilibrium conditions leads to the notion that entirely new and unexpected…
Coherent manipulation of lattice vibrations using ultrafast light pulses enables access to nonequilibrium 'hidden' phases with designed functionalities in quantum materials. However, expanding the understanding of nonlinear light-phonon…
Scaling down materials to an atomic-layer level produces rich physical and chemical properties as exemplified in various two-dimensional (2D) crystals extending from graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides to black phosphorous. This is…
We propose a dynamical mechanism of the two-way switching between the metastable state and the stable state, which has been found in experiments of photoinduced reversible magnetization and photoinduced structural phase transition. We find…
Ultrafast photoexcitation offers a novel approach to manipulating quantum materials. One of the long-standing goals in this field is to achieve optical control over topological properties. However, the impact on their electronic structures,…
Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides MX2 (M = Mo, W, X = S, Se, Te) attracts enormous research interests in recent years. Its 2H phase possesses an indirect to direct bandgap transition in 2D limit, and thus shows great…
The interplay between different degrees of freedom governs the emergence of correlated electronic states in quantum materials, with charge density waves (CDW) often coexisting with other exotic phases. Under thermal equilibrium, traditional…