AI Article Synopsis
- A femtosecond pump-probe study investigates the ultrafast hopping dynamics of 5f electrons in the Mott insulator UO₂ after excitation at temperatures ranging from 5 to 300 K.
- The study reveals that there is an immediate hopping of electrons, which is followed by a picosecond deformation of the lattice, acoustic phonon emissions, and a slower microsecond relaxation process.
- The temperature effects suggest that the slow relaxation is linked to Hubbard excitons created by pairs of U³⁺ and U⁵⁺ ions.
Article Abstract
We describe a femtosecond pump-probe study of ultrafast hopping dynamics of 5f electrons in the Mott insulator UO₂ following Mott-gap excitation at temperatures of 5-300 K. Hopping-induced response of the lattice and electrons is probed by transient reflectivity at mid- and above-gap photon energies, respectively. These measurements show an instantaneous hop, subsequent picosecond lattice deformation, followed by acoustic phonon emission and microsecond relaxation. Temperature-dependent studies indicate that the slow relaxation results from Hubbard excitons formed by U³⁺-U⁵⁺ pairs.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.207402 | DOI Listing |
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