Characterizing optical phase-change materials with spectroscopic ellipsometry and polarimetry

Gutiérrez, Yael; Espinoza, Shirly; Zahradník, Martin; Khakurel, Krishna P.; Resl, Josef; Cobet, Christoph; Hingerl, Kurt; Duwe, Matthias; Thiesen, Peter; Losurdo, María

doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2022.139580

Thin Solid Films

2022

DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2022.139580

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Characterizing optical phase-change materials with spectroscopic ellipsometry and polarimetry

Yael Gutiérrez

Shirly Espinoza

Martin Zahradník

et al.

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Cited by 6 publications

References 60 publications

(99 reference statements)

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Research on rapid and high-sensitivity ellipsometry employing multi-harmonic terms of dual cascade photoelastic modulators

Li,

Wang,

Wang

et al. 2024

Optics and Lasers in Engineering

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Research on rapid and high-sensitivity ellipsometry employing multi-harmonic terms of dual cascade photoelastic modulators

Li,

Wang,

Wang

et al. 2024

Optics and Lasers in Engineering

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Subpicosecond Spectroscopic Ellipsometry of the Photoinduced Phase Transition in VO₂ Thin Films

Gutiérrez,

Vázquez-Miranda,

Espinoza

et al. 2024

ACS Photonics

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We report the first application of broadband time-resolved pump–probe ellipsometry to study the ultrafast dynamics of the photoinduced insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) in vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin films driven by 35 fs laser pulses. This novel technique enables the direct measurement of the time-resolved evolution of the complex pseudodielectric function of VO2 during the IMT. We have identified distinct thermal and nonthermal dynamics in the photoinduced IMT, which critically depends on the pump wavelength and fluence, while providing a detailed temporal and spectral phase map. A comparison of the pseudodielectric function of the VO2 thin film during thermally and photoinduced phase transitions reveals that the primary differences in the IMT pathways occur within the first picosecond after the pump, driven by nonequilibrium dynamics in this ultrafast time scale. The ultrafast spectroscopic ellipsometry introduced in this work offers a complementary probe to study phase changes in condensed matter and emerging photonic device materials.

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Optimizing laser-induced phase transformations in Sb2S3 thin films: Simulation framework and experiments

Resl,

Hingerl,

Gutierrez

et al. 2024

Journal of Applied Physics

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We present a novel simulation approach combined with pulsed laser experiments, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and Raman spectroscopy to comprehensively analyze phase transformation dynamics in thin films. The simulations apply to any thin film stack and incorporate critical factors, such as thin film interference, heat transfer, and temperature-dependent optical properties during heating and melting. As a case study, we investigate the picosecond laser-induced amorphization of antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) thin films, a promising alternative to traditional phase-change materials in photonic applications to validate the simulation model. The computational efficiency of our simulations enables not only the investigation of the laser-induced phase transformation but also the optimization of key process parameters and parameter fitting. The simulations identified optimal film thickness and laser fluence parameters that maximize energy efficiency, melting effectiveness, and quenching rate while ensuring high reflectivity contrast between the amorphous and crystalline states. By constructing a wide-ranging, high-resolution parameter map of the laser fluence and film thickness dependence of the melting process, we demonstrate how this model guides the understanding of phase transformation dynamics. Raman spectroscopy confirms the polycrystalline to amorphous transition of Sb2S3 and provides a semiquantitative estimate of the amorphous fraction as a function of laser fluence, which is qualitatively consistent with the simulation predictions of the model. The open-source simulation framework, experimentally validated, provides valuable insights into laser-induced amorphization dynamics in Sb2S3 and related phase-change material thin films, enabling rapid optimization of photonic devices.

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Characterizing optical phase-change materials with spectroscopic ellipsometry and polarimetry

Cited by 6 publications

References 60 publications

Research on rapid and high-sensitivity ellipsometry employing multi-harmonic terms of dual cascade photoelastic modulators

Research on rapid and high-sensitivity ellipsometry employing multi-harmonic terms of dual cascade photoelastic modulators

Subpicosecond Spectroscopic Ellipsometry of the Photoinduced Phase Transition in VO₂ Thin Films

Optimizing laser-induced phase transformations in Sb2S3 thin films: Simulation framework and experiments

Contact Info

Product

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Characterizing optical phase-change materials with spectroscopic ellipsometry and polarimetry

Cited by 6 publications

References 60 publications

Research on rapid and high-sensitivity ellipsometry employing multi-harmonic terms of dual cascade photoelastic modulators

Research on rapid and high-sensitivity ellipsometry employing multi-harmonic terms of dual cascade photoelastic modulators

Subpicosecond Spectroscopic Ellipsometry of the Photoinduced Phase Transition in VO2 Thin Films

Optimizing laser-induced phase transformations in Sb2S3 thin films: Simulation framework and experiments

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Subpicosecond Spectroscopic Ellipsometry of the Photoinduced Phase Transition in VO₂ Thin Films