Ultrafast laser pulses produce a previously unseen phase of matter
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Re: Ultrafast laser pulses produce a previously unseen phase of matter
#2Original MIT press release of which this is a word-for-word copy: https://news.mit.edu/2019/light-orders-exotic-material-1111
Actual letter in Nature Physics: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-019-0705-3
Re: Ultrafast laser pulses produce a previously unseen phase of matter
#3Original MIT press release of which this is a word-for-word copy: https://news.mit.edu/2019/light-orders-exotic-material-1111 Actual letter in Nature Physics : https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-019-0705-3
Sci-Hub link to pdf http://sci-hub.tw/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-019...
Re: Ultrafast laser pulses produce a previously unseen phase of matter
#4Original MIT press release of which this is a word-for-word copy: https://news.mit.edu/2019/light-orders-exotic-material-1111 Actual letter in Nature Physics : https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-019-0705-3
Sci-Hub link to pdf http://sci-hub.tw/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-019...
Wow, this makes way more sense than in the press release. Scihub is a treasure.
Re: Ultrafast laser pulses produce a previously unseen phase of matter
#5Just when you think Physics has little left to discover, something you never expected creates a whole new avenue to explore.
"When I began my physical studies [in Munich in 1874] and sought advice from my venerable teacher Philipp von Jolly...he portrayed to me physics as a highly developed, almost fully matured science" - Max Planck
Re: Ultrafast laser pulses produce a previously unseen phase of matter
#6> The idea that two possible states of matter might be in competition and that the dominant mode is suppressing one or more alternative modes is fairly common in quantum materials, the researchers say. This suggests that there may be latent states lurking unseen in many kinds of matter that could be unveiled if a way can be found to suppress the dominant state.
How exciting! I can only daydream about the kind of discoveries to be found about matter in, say, 50 years.
Re: Ultrafast laser pulses produce a previously unseen phase of matter
#7New phases of matter uncovered by ultrafast laser pumping is more common than you might think.
Dumping a bunch of energy into a system in less than 30fs (30 x 10^-15s) creates a profoundly non-equilibrium situation. Whatever phase of matter you observe right after will likely have no equilibrium analogue.
> The perpendicular version of the CDW that appears after the burst of laser light has never before been observed in this material, Gedik says. It "just briefly flashes, and then it's gone," Kogar says, to be replaced by the original CDW pattern which immediately pops back into view.
The interesting bit is here:
> Gedik points out that "this is quite unusual. In most cases, when you add energy to a material, you reduce order."
That is what's great about this. New phases of matter in ultrafast experiments are old news.
Re: Ultrafast laser pulses produce a previously unseen phase of matter
#8Just when you think Physics has little left to discover, something you never expected creates a whole new avenue to explore. "When I began my physical studies [in Munich in 1874] and sought advice from my venerable teacher Philipp von Jolly...he portrayed to me physics as a highly developed, almost fully matured science" - Max Planck
I don't think physics will ever be fully matured. There is always a "Why?" that needs an answer.
Re: Ultrafast laser pulses produce a previously unseen phase of matter
#9Yeah, "new phase of matter" is exactly how I'd classify a solid metal that has photo-electric properties under extremely specific lab conditions never observed in nature.
Teach kids that there are now five phases of matter. Incredibly applicable to so many every day situations. Great. Thanks.
Re: Ultrafast laser pulses produce a previously unseen phase of matter
#10> "What if all you need to do is shine light on a material, and this new state comes into being?"
Wonder if it's related to photosynthesis?