• Meyer, D. A.
• Siddons, D. P.
• Blome, C.
• Hastings, J. B.
• Cavalieri, A. L.
• Bucksbaum, Philip
• Engemann, S.
• Lee, S. H.
• George, M. J.
• Rudati, J.
• Hillyard, P. B.
• Nelson, A. J.
• Arthur, J.
• Fuoss, P. H.
• Hajdu, J.
• Larsson, J.
• Krejcik, P.
• Nicoul, M.
• Lorazo, P.
• Tschentscher, Th
• Falcone, R. W.
• Lindenberg, A. M.
• Gaffney, K. J.
• Pahl, R.
• Deb, A.
• Fritz, D. M.
• Reis, D. A.
• Sokolowski-Tinten, K.
• Akre, R. A.

Abstract

Femtosecond time-resolved small and wide angle x-ray diffuse scattering techniques are applied to investigate the ultrafast nucleation processes that occur during the ablation process in semiconducting materials. Following intense optical excitation, a transient liquid state of high compressibility characterized by large-amplitude density fluctuations is observed and the buildup of these fluctuations is measured in real time. Small-angle scattering measurements reveal snapshots of the spontaneous nucleation of nanoscale voids within a metastable liquid and support theoretical predictions of the ablation process.

Topics

• density
• impedance spectroscopy
• void