Detecting electron-phonon coupling during photoinduced phase transition

Photoinduced phase transitions have been intensively studied owing to the potential capability to control a material of interest in the ultrafast manner, which can induce exotic phases unable to be attained at equilibrium. However, the key mechanisms are still under debate, and it is currently a central issue as to how the couplings between the electron, lattice, and spin degrees of freedom are evolving during photoinduced phase transitions. Here, we use a recently developed analysis method, which we call frequency-domain angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (FDARPES), and reveal mode- and band-selective electron-phonon couplings during the photoinduced insulator-to-metal transition for Ta2NiSe5. We find that the lattice modulation corresponding to the 2 THz phonon mode, where the Ta lattice is sheared along the a axis, is the most relevant for the emergence of photoinduced semimetallic state. Furthermore, we find that the semimetallic and semiconducting bands coexist in the transient state, and demonstrate that FDARPES spectra can selectively detect the phonon-specific couplings to the two coexistent band structures during the photoinduced phase transition by resolving them in the frequency domain.

Automated summary

Researchers used the FDARPES technique to discover that in the photoinduced insulator-to-metal transition of Ta2NiSe5, the lattice modulation induced by the 2 THz phonon mode is the most relevant for the emergence of the photoinduced semimetallic state. Additionally, in the transient state, both semimetallic and semiconducting bands coexist, and FDARPES spectra can selectively detect the phonon-specific couplings to these coexistent band structures by resolving them in the frequency domain.