Materials science. Creating transient crystal structures with light.

Abstract

Under appropriate circumstances, light can be used to guide structural transitions in solids. New ultrafast x-ray probes now promise direct information about the dynamics of such transitions. In his Perspective, Siders highlights the report of Collet et al. , who have used such time-resolved x-ray diffraction to demonstrate optical control of a phase transition in a molecular crystal. The work shows that light may be used in a similar way as doping, temperature, and pressure to control materials properties.