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Ultrafast Electronic Disordering During Femtosecond Laser Melting Of Gaas, Peter N. Saeta, J.-K. Wang, Y. Siegal, N. Bloembergen, E. Mazur
Ultrafast Electronic Disordering During Femtosecond Laser Melting Of Gaas, Peter N. Saeta, J.-K. Wang, Y. Siegal, N. Bloembergen, E. Mazur
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We have observed an ultrarapid electronic phase transformation to a centrosymmetric electronic state during laser excitation of GaAs with intense femtosecond pulses. Reflection second-harmonic intensity from the upper 90 atomic layers vanishes within 100 fs; reflectivity rises within 0.5 ps to a steady value characteristic of a metallic molten phase, long before phonon emission can heat the lattice to the melting temperature.