Description
The atomic structure of the thin Fe layer after sub-ps pulsed laser annealing was investigated using time-resolved X-ray diffraction [1]. Due to the strong electron-phonon coupling, the laser pulse energy is transferred to the lattice at within approx. 1 ps. This rapid heating results in ultrafast melting. However, below the threshold of the complete melting, solid-solid structural transformation occur. As predicted by ab-initio theoretical simulations, high-temperature conditions cause phonon softening leading to lattice distortion.
[1] J. Antonowicz et al., Acta Materialia 276 (2024) 120043
Primary author
Oleksii Liubchenko
