Femtosecond-laser excitation of solids leads to highly nonthermal conditions, posing challenges for controlling material states due to decoherences. The authors use ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations to show that timed multiple laser pulses can pause nonthermal contributions in silicon, creating a metastable state, potentially enabling controlled phase transitions in other materials.
- Tobias Zier
- Eeuwe S. Zijlstra
- David A. Strubbe
