(1) Institute of High Energy Density, Joint Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 127412, Russia;(2) Institute for Laser and Plasma Physics, University of Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany
Abstract:
Femtosecond laser-induced structural transitions in graphite were studied by time-resolved optical anisotropy measurements. The decay of the anisotropic reflectivity seems to indicate a loss of long-range order on a subpicosecond time scale, which is much faster than the electron-phonon relaxation time. This observation confirms the nonthermal nature of the structural transition.