The advent of pump-probe spectroscopy techniques paved the way to the exploration of
ultrafast dynamics of electrons and phonons in crystalline solids. Following photo-absorption …

The ultrafast laser excitation of matters leads to nonequilibrium states with complex solid-
liquid phase-transition dynamics. We used electron diffraction at mega–electron volt …

Studies of laser-heated materials on femtosecond timescales have shown that the
interatomic potential can be perturbed at sufficiently high laser intensities. For gold, it has …

Intense ultrafast laser excitation brings materials into highly nonequilibrium states with
complex solid–liquid phase transitions. These ultrafast processes yield warm dense matter …

Even though electron-phonon coupling is one of the most important parameters governing
material evolution after ultrafast energy deposition it remains the most unexplored one. In …

Melting is a common and well-studied phenomenon that still reveals new facets when
triggered by laser excitation and probed with ultrafast electron diffraction. Recent …

The melting curve of gold has been measured up to 110 GPa using laser-heated diamond
anvil cells and synchrotron x-ray diffraction techniques. Accurate pyrometry temperature …

Femtosecond laser excitation of metals triggers swift modifications of the electronic
distribution within the band structure. This has direct consequences on optical transitions …

Ultrafast laser irradiation of metals can elevate the temperature of electrons to the same
order as the Fermi temperature while the lattice remains cold. In this transient and highly …

A semiempirical theory for the excitation and subsequent relaxation of nonthermal electrons
is described. The theory, which is applicable to ultrafast-laser excited metals, is based on the …