23 research outputs found
No light shining through a wall : new results from a photoregeneration experiment
Recently, axion-like particle search has received renewed interest. In
particular, several groups have started ``light shining through a wall''
experiments based on magnetic field and laser both continuous, which is very
demanding in terms of detector background. We present here the 2 limits
obtained so far with our novel set-up consisting of a pulsed magnetic field and
a pulsed laser. In particular, we have found that the axion-like particle two
photons inverse coupling constant is GeV provided that the
particle mass 1 meV. Our results definitively invalidate
the axion interpretation of the original PVLAS optical measurements with a
confidence level greater than 99.9%.Comment: Version that will appear in Physical Review Letters, Vol. 99, n. 18,
(2 Nov 2007
The BMV project: Search for photon oscillations into massive particles
In this contribution to PSAS08 we report on the research activities developed
in our Toulouse group, in the framework of the BMV project, concerning the
search for photon oscillations into massive particles, such as axion-like
particles in the presence of a strong transverse magnetic field. We recall our
main result obtained in collaboration with LULI at \'Ecole Polytechnique
(Palaiseau, France). We also present the very preliminary results obtained with
the BMV experiment which is set up at LNCMP (Toulouse, France).Comment: Proceedings of PSAS'08, to be published in Can. J. Phy
Giant Anisotropy of Spin-Orbit Splitting at the Bismuth Surface
We investigate the bismuth (111) surface by means of time and angle resolved
photoelectron spectroscopy. The parallel detection of the surface states below
and above the Fermi level reveals a giant anisotropy of the Spin-Orbit (SO)
spitting. These strong deviations from the Rashba-like coupling cannot be
treated in perturbation theory. Instead, first
principle calculations could accurately reproduce the experimental dispersion
of the electronic states. Our analysis shows that the giant anisotropy of the
SO splitting is due to a large out-of plane buckling of the spin and orbital
texture.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Circular dichroism and superdiffusive transport at the surface of BiTeI
et al.We investigate the electronic states of BiTeI after the optical pumping with circularly polarized photons. Our data show that photoexcited electrons reach an internal thermalization within 300 fs of the arrival of the pump pulse. Instead, the dichroic contrast generated by the circularly polarized light relaxes on a time scale shorter than 80 fs. This result implies that orbital and spin polarization created by the circular pump pulse rapidly decays via manybody interaction. The persistent dichroism at longer delay times is due to the helicity dependence of superdiffussive transport. We ascribe it to the lack of inversion symmetry in an electronic system far from equilibrium conditions.We acknowledge that the FemtoARPES project was financially supported by the RTRA Triangle de la Physique, and the ANR program Chaires dâExcellence (Nr. ANR-08-CEXCEC8-011-01).Peer Reviewe
Ultrafast filling of an electronic pseudogap in an incommensurate crystal
We investigate the quasiperiodic crystal (LaS)1.196(VS2) by angle and time
resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The dispersion of electronic states is in
qualitative agreement with band structure calculated for the VS2 slab without
the incommensurate distortion. Nonetheless, the spectra display a temperature
dependent pseudogap instead of quasiparticles crossing. The sudden
photoexcitation at 50 K induces a partial filling of the electronic pseudogap
within less than 80 fs. The electronic energy flows into the lattice modes on a
comparable timescale. We attribute this surprisingly short timescale to a very
strong electron-phonon coupling to the incommensurate distortion. This result
sheds light on the electronic localization arising in aperiodic structures and
quasicrystals
Tuning a Schottky barrier in a photoexcited topological insulator with transient Dirac cone electron-hole asymmetry
The advent of Dirac materials has made it possible to realize two dimensional
gases of relativistic fermions with unprecedented transport properties in
condensed matter. Their photoconductive control with ultrafast light pulses is
opening new perspectives for the transmission of current and information. Here
we show that the interplay of surface and bulk transient carrier dynamics in a
photoexcited topological insulator can control an essential parameter for
photoconductivity - the balance between excess electrons and holes in the Dirac
cone. This can result in a strongly out of equilibrium gas of hot relativistic
fermions, characterized by a surprisingly long lifetime of more than 50 ps, and
a simultaneous transient shift of chemical potential by as much as 100 meV. The
unique properties of this transient Dirac cone make it possible to tune with
ultrafast light pulses a relativistic nanoscale Schottky barrier, in a way that
is impossible with conventional optoelectronic materials.Comment: Nature Communications, in press (12 pages, 6 figures
Ultrafast surface carrier dynamics in the topological insulator Bi2Te3
We discuss the ultrafast evolution of the surface electronic structure of the
topological insulator BiTe following a femtosecond laser excitation.
Using time and angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, we provide a direct
real-time visualisation of the transient carrier population of both the surface
states and the bulk conduction band. We find that the thermalization of the
surface states is initially determined by interband scattering from the bulk
conduction band, lasting for about 0.5 ps; subsequently, few ps are necessary
for the Dirac cone non-equilibrium electrons to recover a Fermi-Dirac
distribution, while their relaxation extends over more than 10 ps. The surface
sensitivity of our measurements makes it possible to estimate the range of the
bulk-surface interband scattering channel, indicating that the process is
effective over a distance of 5 nm or less. This establishes a correlation
between the nanoscale thickness of the bulk charge reservoir and the evolution
of the ultrafast carrier dynamics in the surface Dirac cone
Wavelength and shape dependent strong-field photoemission from silver nanotips
International audienc
Wavelength and shape dependent strong-field photoemission from silver nanotips
International audienc