Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Analyzing Melts and Fluids from Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations with the UMD Package
Published on: September 17, 2021
Anharmonic noninertial lattice dynamics during ultrafast nonthermal melting of InSb
Eeuwe S Zijlstra1, Jessica Walkenhorst, Martin E Garcia
1Theoretische Physik, Universität Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Strasse 40, 34132 Kassel, Germany. zijlstra@physik.uni-kassel.de
Abstract:
We compute the potential energy surface of femtosecond-laser-excited InSb along the directions in which the crystal becomes soft. Using dynamical simulations the time dependence of the atomic coordinates is obtained. We find that at high excitation densities the anharmonicity of the potential energy surface becomes significant after approximately 100 fs. On the basis of our results we explain recent time-resolved x-ray diffraction experiments. We point out that an alternative model for ultrafast melting [A. M. Lindenberg, Science 308, 392 (2005)] is inconsistent with our calculations.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Lattice Energies of Ionic Crystals
Trends in Lattice Energy: Ion Size and Charge
Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing
Molecular and Ionic Solids
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes

