Ultrafast lattice dynamics in antiferromagnetic NiO - TRR227 paper in Phys. Rev. Lett.
Femtosecond electron diffraction: Experimental scheme and example diffraction pattern.
A joint paper of L. Rettig (project A09), R. Ernstorfer (project B07) and W. Widdra (project A06) was recently published in Physical Review Letters.
News from Apr 26, 2021
TRR227 scientists in Berlin and Halle have studied the response of NiO's crystal lattice to ultrashort optical excitation. The study shows the creation of a nonthermal phonon population (i.e. it cannot be described by a Bose-Einstein distribution), which is directly linked to photoinduced changes in the antiferrmagnetically-induced lattice distortion, known as "exchange striction". The study open a new avenue towards ultrafast control of antiferromagnets via the crystal lattice.
Y. W. Windsor, D. Zahn, R. Kamrla, J. Feldl, H. Seiler, C.-T. Chiang, M. Ramsteiner, W. Widdra, R. Ernstorfer, and L. Rettig: Exchange-striction driven ultrafast nonthermal lattice dynamics in NiO - Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 147202 (2021) - DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.147202