%0 Journal Article %1 stahl2020collapse %A Stahl, Quirin %A Kusch, Maximilian %A Heinsch, Florian %A Garbarino, Gaston %A Kretzschmar, Norman %A Hanff, Kerstin %A Rossnagel, Kai %A Geck, Jochen %A Ritschel, Tobias %D 2020 %J Nat Commun %K b %N 1 %P 1247 %R 10.1038/s41467-020-15079-1 %T Collapse of layer dimerization in the photo-induced hidden state of 1T-TaS$_2$ %U https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15079-1 %V 11 %X Photo-induced switching between collective quantum states of matter is a fascinating rising field with exciting opportunities for novel technologies. Presently, very intensively studied examples in this regard are nanometer-thick single crystals of the layered material 1T-TaS$_2$, where picosecond laser pulses can trigger a fully reversible insulator-to-metal transition (IMT). This IMT is believed to be connected to the switching between metastable collective quantum states, but the microscopic nature of this so-called hidden quantum state remained largely elusive up to now. Here, we characterize the hidden quantum state of 1T-TaS$_2$ by means of state-of-the-art x-ray diffraction and show that the laser-driven IMT involves a marked rearrangement of the charge and orbital order in the direction perpendicular to the TaS$_2$-layers. More specifically, we identify the collapse of interlayer molecular orbital dimers as a key mechanism for this non-thermal collective transition between two truly long-range ordered electronic crystals.

@article{stahl2020collapse, abstract = {Photo-induced switching between collective quantum states of matter is a fascinating rising field with exciting opportunities for novel technologies. Presently, very intensively studied examples in this regard are nanometer-thick single crystals of the layered material 1T-TaS$_2$, where picosecond laser pulses can trigger a fully reversible insulator-to-metal transition (IMT). This IMT is believed to be connected to the switching between metastable collective quantum states, but the microscopic nature of this so-called hidden quantum state remained largely elusive up to now. Here, we characterize the hidden quantum state of 1T-TaS$_2$ by means of state-of-the-art x-ray diffraction and show that the laser-driven IMT involves a marked rearrangement of the charge and orbital order in the direction perpendicular to the TaS$_2$-layers. More specifically, we identify the collapse of interlayer molecular orbital dimers as a key mechanism for this non-thermal collective transition between two truly long-range ordered electronic crystals.}, added-at = {2020-03-13T19:49:45.000+0100}, author = {Stahl, Quirin and Kusch, Maximilian and Heinsch, Florian and Garbarino, Gaston and Kretzschmar, Norman and Hanff, Kerstin and Rossnagel, Kai and Geck, Jochen and Ritschel, Tobias}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2b8788ca99f5c5707ac31c610079ee5bc/ctqmat}, day = 6, description = {Collapse of layer dimerization in the photo-induced hidden state of 1T-TaS 2 | Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-020-15079-1}, interhash = {a2ff4665f4f367a71255dd1b4baf4039}, intrahash = {b8788ca99f5c5707ac31c610079ee5bc}, issn = {20411723}, journal = {Nat Commun}, keywords = {b}, month = {3}, number = 1, pages = 1247, refid = {Stahl2020}, timestamp = {2023-10-19T15:52:23.000+0200}, title = {Collapse of layer dimerization in the photo-induced hidden state of 1T-TaS$_{\mathbf{2}}$}, type = {Publication}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15079-1}, volume = 11, year = 2020 }