Development of Ultrafast Optical Methods for the Study of the Structural Dynamics of Complex Solids

Ultrafast time-resolved transient absorption measurements have proven to be an expedient tool for the investigation of photon-induced structural dynamics with the long-range objective of understanding, controlling and successively optimizing light harvesting materials and devices according to the respective needs. This book represents a detailed analysis of the photon-induced structural dynamics of two distinct materials in its solid state for a broad range of temperatures. The two samples chosen for this study are a perovskite manganite (PCMO) and a binuclear metal-organic compound (Rhdimen). Thereby the investigated materials were selected as promising candidates with respect to efficient light energy conversion in terms of their photovoltaic and photo-catalytic properties, respectively. The performed time-resolved measurements are accompanied by further static spectroscopic measurements as well as theoretical calculations based on the density functional theory and experimental evidence for interesting and fundamental occurring structural dynamics are revealed and discussed in detail. Besides the revelation of a fundamental new mechanism that could lead to a new and more efficient type of solar cells, further conclusions regarding light driven structural processes are made and shed light into an ongoing controversial discussion.