Light-Driven Transitions in Quantum Paraelectrics

ORAL

Abstract

Motivated by recent measurements of terahertz field-induced ferroelectric transitions in the quantum paraelectric SrTiO$_3$, we study a driven phonon system close to a second order phase transition. Exploring the system’s classical dynamics, we find that at sufficiently large fluence, there are polarization-sensitive transitions into ordered phases, some of which are inaccessible in equilibrium. More specifically for certain polarizations we demonstrate the existence of two-step transitions to ordered phases and at still higher fluence the onset of chaotic behavior. Moving beyond classical dynamics, we develop a formalism for including quantum corrections in a controlled way and we study the effects of quantum fluctuations on the critical fluences with observable consequences.

*This work was partially supported by DOE Basic Energy Sciences grant DE-SC0020352 (P. Ch. and Z.Z.), NSF grant DMR-1830707 (P. Co.) and Rutgers Center for Materials Theory Abrahams Fellowships (A.C. and P.A.V.)

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Presenters

  • Premala Chandra

    • Rutgers University, New Brunswick
    • Rutgers University

Authors

  • Premala Chandra

    • Rutgers University, New Brunswick
    • Rutgers University

  • Ahana Chakraborty

    • Rutgers University

  • Zekun Zhuang

    • Rutgers University

  • Pavel Volkov

    • Harvard University; University of Connecticut
    • Rutgers University
    • Harvard University; University of Connecticut; Rutgers University

  • Piers Coleman

    • Rutgers University