Ultrafast phonon hardening and nonthermal lattice potential reconstruction in the charge-density-wave material 1T-TiSe2Show others and affiliations
2026 (English)In: Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy, ISSN 1674-7348, E-ISSN 1869-1927, Vol. 69, no 6, article id 267412Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
We investigate the nonequilibrium electronic and lattice dynamics of the charge-density-wave (CDW) compound 1T-TiSe2 using ultrafast optical spectroscopy over a wide range of temperatures and pump fluences. We reveal a close relationship between the observed ultrafast dynamical processes and two characteristic temperatures: TCDW (∼202 K) and T* (∼165 K). Two coherent phonon modes are identified: a high-frequency A1g mode (ω1) and a lower-frequency A1g-CDW amplitude mode (ω2). While both modes soften with increasing temperature, in contrast to thermal behavior we observe a pronounced fluence-induced hardening of the CDW amplitude mode on sub-picosecond timescales. This anomalous frequency upshift provides direct evidence for a nonthermal reconstruction of the lattice potential, driven by transient screening of electron-phonon renormalization by the photoexcited carrier plasma. Concomitantly, the excited-state buildup time exhibits an abrupt increase above a well-defined critical fluence below the CDW transition temperature, signaling a qualitative change in carrier relaxation dynamics. The coincidence between phonon hardening and the fluence threshold indicates that ultrafast electronic screening reshapes the effective lattice potential underlying the CDW order, promoting a nonequilibrium metallic-like response without thermal melting. Our results establish ultrafast phonon hardening as a sensitive probe of lattice potential reconstruction and highlight the fragile balance between excitonic correlations and lattice dynamics in photoexcited 1T-TiSe2.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer, 2026. Vol. 69, no 6, article id 267412
Keywords [en]
charge density wave, ultrafast optical spectroscopy, electron-phonon coupling, transition metal dichalcogenides
National Category
Condensed Matter Physics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-586534DOI: 10.1007/s11433-026-2952-3ISI: 001760937900004Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105038170497OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-586534DiVA, id: diva2:2062102
Funder
Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, 2022.0079Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, 2023.0336Swedish Research Council, 2022-067252026-05-252026-05-252026-06-05Bibliographically approved