Shock physics at the nanoscale [Invited]

Shock waves can achieve extreme states of pressure and temperature, of particular interest because those conditions can result in non-equilibrium material dynamics that evolve on ultrafast timescales. Examples of such phenomena include shock-induced chemistry and phase transitions. Traditional plate impact methods lack the necessary time and space resolution needed to observe the onset of ultrafast nanoscale phenomena. Sub-picosecond time scale and nanometer spatial scale shock compression and diagnostics methods have been developed to surmount such difficulties. This paper reviews a number of nanoscale shock wave generation methods, as well as the diagnostics that are applicable at these restrictive time and spatial scales. (c) 2018 Optical Society of America