Theory for photoinduced structural phase transitions

A general concept for photoinduced structural phase transitions is developed in terms of the hidden multistability of the ground state and the proliferations of optically excited states. Taking the ionic→neutral (I - N) phase transition in the organic charge transfer crystal, TTF—CA, as a typical example for this type of transition, we, at first, theoretically show an adiabatic path of this transition, which starts from a single charge transfer exciton in the ionic phase, but finally reaches a neutral domain with a macroscopic size. In connection with this I—N transition, the concept of the initial condition sensitivity is also developed so as to clarify experimentally observed nonlinear characteristics of this material. In the next, using a more simplified model for the many-exciton system, we theoretically study the early time quantum dynamics of the exciton proliferation, which finally results in the domain formation of a large number of ex-citons. For this purpose, we derive a stepwise iterative equation to describe the exciton proliferation, and clarify the origin of the initial condition sensitivity.