Coherent phonon excitation and linear thermal expansion in structural dynamics and ultrafast electron diffraction of laser-heated metals

In this study, we examine the ultrafast structural dynamics of metals induced by a femtosecond laser-heating pulse as probed by time-resolved electron diffraction. Using the two-temperature model and the Grüneisen relationship we calculate the electron temperature, phonon temperature, and impulsive force at each atomic site in the slab. Together with the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam anharmonic chain model we calculate changes of bond distance and the peak shift of Bragg spots or Laue rings. A laser-heated thin slab is shown to exhibit "breathing" standing-wave behavior, with a period equal to the round-trip time for sound wave and a wavelength twice the slab thickness. The peak delay time first increases linearly with the thickness (<70 nm for aluminum and <200 nm for gold), but becomes less dependent if further thickness increases. Coherent phonon excitation and propagation from the stressed bulk atoms due to impulsive forces as well as the linear thermal expansion due to lattice temperature jump are shown to contribute to the overall structural changes. Differences between these two mechanisms and their dependence on film thickness and other factors are discussed.