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arXiv · 1607.01653

Ultrafast Structure Switching through Nonlinear Phononics

Dominik Maximilian Juraschek·Michael Fechner·Nicola Ann Spaldin
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Abstract

We describe an ultrafast coherent control of the transient structural distortion arising from nonlinear phononics in ErFeO$_3$. Using density functional theory, we calculate the structural properties as input to an anharmonic phonon model that describes the response of the system to a pulsed optical excitation. We find that the trilinear coupling of two orthogonal infrared-active phonons to a Raman-active phonon causes a transient distortion of the lattice. The direction of the distortion is determined by the polarization of the exciting light, suggesting a route to nonlinear phononic lattice control and switching. Since the occurrence of the coupling is determined by the symmetry of the system we propose that it is a universal feature of orthorhombic and tetragonal perovskites.

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Dominik Maximilian Juraschek, Michael Fechner, Nicola Ann Spaldin. 2016-07-06. Ultrafast Structure Switching through Nonlinear Phononics. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.118.054101

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