Scientists have discovered that two carefully timed laser pulses can move atomic layers in a quantum material more effectively than a single, more powerful pulse. Published in Nature Physics, the research shows that increasing light intensity can actually limit atomic motion, while controlling when the energy arrives can overcome that restriction.
The discovery comes from researchers at the Universities of Würzburg and Rostock and ETH Zurich, who investigated tungsten ditelluride (WTe2), a material known as a sliding ferroelectric. Its neighboring atomic layers can shift sideways against each other, much like two palms pressed together.
“What makes this particularly exciting is that the relative motion of the atomic layers can influence a range of material properties, such as ferroelectricity and topology,” explains Gerrit Horstmann, first author of the study and head of an Emmy Noether junior research group at the University of Würzburg.
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