Communications Physics (Jul 2021)

Ultrafast optical melting of trimer superstructure in layered 1T′-TaTe2

  • Khalid M. Siddiqui,
  • Daniel B. Durham,
  • Frederick Cropp,
  • Colin Ophus,
  • Sangeeta Rajpurohit,
  • Yanglin Zhu,
  • Johan D. Carlström,
  • Camille Stavrakas,
  • Zhiqiang Mao,
  • Archana Raja,
  • Pietro Musumeci,
  • Liang Z. Tan,
  • Andrew M. Minor,
  • Daniele Filippetto,
  • Robert A. Kaindl

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-021-00650-z
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4, no. 1
pp. 1 – 7

Abstract

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Advanced time-resolved structural probes are enabling new views of rapid interactions and optical switching between symmetry-broken phases in quantum materials. Here, using relativistic ultrafast electron diffraction the authors investigate the dynamics of TaTe2 and chart the evolution of a distinct superstructure of trimer clusters which dissolve and form on picosecond time scales.