Femtosecond dual-stage formation of topological defects in a 2D charge density wave

In solids, transient defects are known to generate a variety of hidden orders not accessible in equilibrium, but how defects are formed at the nanometer lengthscale and femtosecond timescale remains unknown. Here, we employ an intense laser pulse to create topological defects in a 2D charge density wave (CDW), and track their morphology and dynamics with ultrafast electron diffraction. Leveraging its high temporal resolution and sensitivity in detecting weak diffuse signals, we discover a dual-stage growth of 1D domain walls within 1 ps, a process not dictated by the CDW amplitude but instead mediated by a nonthermal population of longitudinal optical phonons. Our work provides crucial insights into ultrafast engineering of topological defects based on selective excitation of collective modes, opening avenues for dynamical control of nonequilibrium phases in correlated materials.