Inverse Design of Light Manipulating Structural Phase Transition in Solids

This Perspective focuses on recent advances in understandingultrafastprocesses involved in photoinduced structural phase transitions andproposes a strategy for precise manipulation of such transitions.It has been demonstrated that photoexcited carriers occupying emptyantibonding or bonding states generate atomic driving forces thatlead to either stretching or shortening of associated bonds, whichin turn induce collective and coherent motions of atoms and yieldstructural transitions. For instance, phase transitions in IrTe2 and VO2, and nonthermal melting in Si, can beexplained by the occupation of specific local bonding or antibondingstates during laser excitation. These cases reveal the electronic-orbital-selectivenature of laser-induced structural transitions. Based on this understanding,we propose an inverse design protocol for achieving or preventinga target structural transition by controlling the related electronoccupations with orbital-selective photoexcitation. Overall, thisPerspective provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancementsin dynamical structural control in solid materials.

Automated summary

This Perspective discusses recent advancements in understanding ultrafast processes in photoinduced structural phase transitions and proposes a strategy for precise manipulation of such transitions. It has been demonstrated that photoexcited carriers occupying specific bonding or antibonding states can induce atomic motions and lead to structural transitions. Based on this understanding, an inverse design protocol for achieving or preventing target structural transitions is proposed. Overall, this Perspective provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in dynamical structural control in solid materials.