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Nonthermal transition of GaAs in ultra-intense laser radiation field

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 November 2002

TRAIAN DUMITRICĂ
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
ROLAND E. ALLEN
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA

Abstract

Using the technique of tight-binding electron–ion dynamics, we have calculated the response of crystalline GaAs when a femtosecond laser pulse excites 1–20% of the valence electrons. Above a threshold fluence, which corresponds to promotion of about 12% of the valence electrons to the conduction band, the lattice is destabilized and the band gap collapses to zero. This result supports the conclusion that structural changes on a subpicosecond time scale observed in pump-probe experiments are of a nonthermal nature.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press

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