Probing photoinduced phase transition in a charge-transfer molecular crystal by 100 picosecond X-ray diffraction

Abstract

Watching with an atomic resolution at structural changes as fast or ultra-fast photoinduced physical processes take place benefits from recent progresses in time-resolved X-ray diffraction. Molecular materials where electronic and structural changes are strongly coupled are model systems to perform such time-resolved crystallography studies. We report the structural investigation of photoinduced phase transformations between ionic and neutral states in an organic charge-transfer molecular material, using 100 picosecond (ps) synchrotron pulses. This light-induced phenomenon, triggered by an ultra-short optical pulse from a femtosecond laser, occurs by virtue of intrinsic cooperativity. Since electronic and structural changes are strongly coupled, it is of fundamental interest to perform time-resolved X-ray diffraction to obtain information at the atomic scale. We also discuss the problem of coexistence of phases and the interest of future investigations in faster timescale.