Phase switching in GeTe thin films (grown using a modified metal organic chemical vapor deposition system) upon pulsed femtosecond and nanosecond laser irradiation has been studied. Two in situ methods, i.e., optical microscopy and real-time reflectivity measurements, have been used in order to compare the optical response before and after phase change and to follow the phase change dynamics with a time resolution close to 400 ps. The results show that cycling is possible under irradiation with both fs and ns pulses using single pulses for amorphization and multiple pulses for crystallization. The use of ns pulses favors the crystalline-to-amorphous phase transformation, with a characteristic transformation time of ∼15 ns. The presence of the liquid phase was identified and temporally resolved, featuring a well-defined transient reflectivity state, in between those of the crystalline and amorphous phases. We have also studied the role of material configuration in the phase change dynamics and the mechanisms involved in the re-crystallization process.
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15 June 2011
Research Article|
June 17 2011
Dynamics of laser-induced phase switching in GeTe films
W. Gawelda;
W. Gawelda
1Laser Processing Group,
Instituto de Óptica
, CSIC, Serrano 121, E-28006 Madrid, Spain
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J. Siegel;
J. Siegel
a)
1Laser Processing Group,
Instituto de Óptica
, CSIC, Serrano 121, E-28006 Madrid, Spain
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C. N. Afonso;
C. N. Afonso
1Laser Processing Group,
Instituto de Óptica
, CSIC, Serrano 121, E-28006 Madrid, Spain
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V. Plausinaitiene;
V. Plausinaitiene
2Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry,
Vilnius University
, Naugarduko 24, LT-03225 Vilnius, Lithuania
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A. Abrutis;
A. Abrutis
2Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry,
Vilnius University
, Naugarduko 24, LT-03225 Vilnius, Lithuania
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C. Wiemer
C. Wiemer
3Laboratorio MDM, IMM-CNR, via C. Olivetti 2, 20864 Agrate Brianza, (MB)
Italy
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a)
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic addresses: [email protected] and [email protected].
b)
Present address: European XFEL GmbH, Albert-Einstein-Ring 19, 22761 Hamburg, Germany.
J. Appl. Phys. 109, 123102 (2011)
Article history
Received:
March 09 2011
Accepted:
April 29 2011
Citation
W. Gawelda, J. Siegel, C. N. Afonso, V. Plausinaitiene, A. Abrutis, C. Wiemer; Dynamics of laser-induced phase switching in GeTe films. J. Appl. Phys. 15 June 2011; 109 (12): 123102. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3596562
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