Driven phase transitions at surfaces: initial dynamics, hidden states and relaxation (C03)

• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: since 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 278162697

The non-equilibrium dynamics of structural phase transitions at single crystal surfaces upon femtosecond laser excitation will be studied by means of ultrafast electron diffraction. We focus on the manipulation of the excitation of the phase transition and its recovery to the ground state through variation of photon energy, sample temperature or substrate step density. We will study both Peierls-like as well as order-disorder phase transitions of various dimensionality.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1242: Non-equilibrium dynamics of condensed matter in the time domain
• Major Instrumentation: Optical parametric amplifier
• Applicant Institution: Universität Duisburg-Essen
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Michael Horn-von Hoegen