Ultrafast Carrier-Lattice Interactions and Interlayer Modulations of Bi2Se3 by X-ray Free-Electron Laser Diffraction

Multiphoton-pumped UV-Vis transient absorption spectroscopy of 2D materials: basic concepts and recent applications

2D materials are considered a key element in the development of next-generation electronics (nanoelectronics) due to their extreme thickness in the nanometer range and unique physical properties. The ultrafast dynamics of photoexcited carriers in such materials are strongly influenced by their interfaces, since the thickness of 2D materials is much smaller than the typical depth of light penetration into their bulk counterparts and the mean free path of photoexcited carriers. The resulting collisions of photoexcited carriers with interfacial potential barriers of 2D materials in the presence of a strong laser field significantly alter the overall dynamics of photoexcitation, allowing laser light to be directly absorbed by carriers in the conduction/valence band through the inverse bremsstrahlung mechanism. The corresponding ultrafast carrier dynamics can be monitored using multiphoton-pumped UV-Vis transient absorption spectroscopy. In this review, we discuss the basic concepts and recent applications of this spectroscopy for a variety of 2D materials, including transition-metal dichalcogenide monolayers, topological insulators, and other 2D semiconductor structures.

A comparative review of time-resolved x-ray and electron scattering to probe structural dynamics

The structure of molecules, particularly the dynamic changes in structure, plays an essential role in understanding physical and chemical phenomena. Time-resolved (TR) scattering techniques serve as crucial experimental tools for studying structural dynamics, offering direct sensitivity to molecular structures through scattering signals. Over the past decade, the advent of x-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) and mega-electron-volt ultrafast electron diffraction (MeV-UED) facilities has ushered TR scattering experiments into a new era, garnering significant attention. In this review, we delve into the basic principles of TR scattering experiments, especially focusing on those that employ x-rays and electrons. We highlight the variations in experimental conditions when employing x-rays vs electrons and discuss their complementarity. Additionally, cutting-edge XFELs and MeV-UED facilities for TR x-ray and electron scattering experiments and the experiments performed at those facilities are reviewed. As new facilities are constructed and existing ones undergo upgrades, the landscape for TR x-ray and electron scattering experiments is poised for further expansion. Through this review, we aim to facilitate the effective utilization of these emerging opportunities, assisting researchers in delving deeper into the intricate dynamics of molecular structures.

Ultrafast formation of quantized interlayer vibrations in Bi2Se3 by photoinduced strain waves

This study comprehensively investigated the coherent lattice dynamics in Bi₂Se₃ by ultrafast optical pump-probe spectroscopy with tunable near-infrared probe pulses. Sample-thickness- and probe-wavelength-dependent experiments revealed the key role of Bi₂Se₃ optical property in the generation and detection of photoinduced strain waves, whose confinement initiated coherent interlayer vibrations. Furthermore, the frequency and lifetime of the interlayer vibrations could be quantitatively explained with a modified linear chain and an acoustic mismatch model considering elastic coupling at sample-substrate interfaces. The results of this work provide insights for analyzing and interpreting, through ultrafast optical spectroscopy, nanomechanical interactions in layered materials.

Two-photon IR pumped UV-Vis transient absorption spectroscopy of Dirac fermions in the topological insulator Bi2Se3

It is often taken for granted that in pump-probe experiments on the topological insulator (TI) Bi₂Se₃using IR pumping with a commercial Ti:sapphire laser [∼800 nm (1.55 eV photon energy)], the electrons are excited in the one-photon absorption regime, even when pumped with absorbed fluences in the mJ cm^-2range. Here, using UV-Vis transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy, we show that even at low-power Infrared (IR) pumping with absorbed fluences in theμJ cm^-2range, the TA spectra of the TI Bi₂Se₃extend across a part of the UV and the entire visible region. This observation suggests unambiguously that the two-photon pumping regime accompanies the usual one-photon pumping regime even at low laser powers applied. We attribute the high efficiency of two-photon pumping to the giant nonlinearity of Dirac fermions in the Dirac surface states (SS). On the contrary, one-photon pumping is associated with the excitation of bound valence electrons in the bulk into the conduction band. Two mechanisms of absorption bleaching were also revealed since they manifest themselves in different spectral regions of probing and cause the appearance of three different relaxation dynamics. These two mechanisms were attributed to the filling of the phase-space in the Dirac SS and bulk states, followed by the corresponding Pauli blocking.

Ultrafast Carrier-Coupled Interlayer Contraction, Coherent Intralayer Motions, and Phonon Thermalization Dynamics of Black Phosphorus

Black phosphorus (bP) exhibits highly anisotropic properties and dynamical behavior that are unique even among two-dimensional and van der Waals (vdW) layered materials. Here, we show that an interlayer lattice contraction and concerted, symmetric intralayer vibrations occur concurrently within few picoseconds following the photoinjection and relaxation of carriers, using ultrafast electron diffraction in the reflection geometry to probe the out-of-plane motions. A strong coupling between the photocarriers and bP's puckered structure, with the alignment of the electronic band structure, is at work for such directional atomic motions without a photoinduced phase transition. Three temporal regimes can be identified for the phonon thermalization dynamics where a quasi-equilibrium without anisotropy is reached in about 50 ps, followed by propagation of coherent acoustic phonons and heat diffusion into the bulk. The early time out-of-plane dynamics reported here have important implications for single- and few-layer bP and other vdW materials with strong electronic-lattice correlations.

Recent Progress of the PAL-XFEL

The X-ray free-electron laser of the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL-XFEL) was opened to users in 2017. Since then, significant progress has been made in PAL-XFEL operation and beamline experiments. This includes increasing the FEL pulse energy, increasing the FEL photon energy, generating self-seeding FEL, and trials of two-color operation. In the beamline, new instruments or endstations have been added or are being prepared. Overall, beamline operation has been stabilized since its initiation, which has enabled excellent scientific results through efficient user experiments. In this paper, we describe details of the recent progress of the PAL-XFEL.