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Research Highlight | Materials Science

X-ray nanoimaging of an ultrafast phase transition

In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers reveal new transition pathways during an ultrafast phase transition of FeRh, which are fundamentally different from quasi-equilibrium transitions.

Scientific Achievement

Time-resolved x-ray nanodiffraction reveals new transition pathways during an ultrafast phase transition that are fundamentally different from quasi-equilibrium transitions.

Significance and Impact

Crucial nanoscopic insights into ultrafast phase transitions obtained via spatiotemporally-resolved structural characterization provide opportunities for controlling nanoscale phases on ultrafast time scales.

Research Details

  • A first-of-its-kind laser-pumped x-ray nanodiffraction imaging capability with 25 nm and 100 ps resolutions at the Advanced Photon Source was utilized.
  • Key nanoscale processes were discovered in the optically-induced phase transition of FeRh.

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2118597119

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