Fractional diffusion in silicon

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Computational Chemistry

Background:

• Ultrafast laser interactions with materials can induce rapid phase transitions.
• Melting dynamics in elemental semiconductors are crucial for applications in electronics and photonics.
• Fractional diffusion is typically associated with complex fluids and confined systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the microscopic mechanisms behind ultrafast laser-induced melting of silicon.
• To identify the atomic-level behavior of silicon during the transition from solid to liquid state.
• To explore the occurrence of fractional diffusion in elemental semiconductors under extreme conditions.

Main Methods:

• Large-scale *ab initio* molecular dynamics simulations were employed.
• The simulations modeled the interaction of silicon with ultrafast laser pulses.
• Atomic trajectories and diffusion properties were analyzed during the melting process.

Main Results:

• Atoms in silicon exhibit fractional diffusion prior to complete melting.
• This fractional diffusion behavior was observed in an elemental semiconductor, challenging previous assumptions.
• The findings provide insights into the non-equilibrium dynamics of laser-induced phase transitions.

Conclusions:

• Fractional diffusion is a relevant phenomenon in the ultrafast laser-induced melting of elemental semiconductors.
• This study expands the understanding of atomic mobility during phase transitions.
• The results have implications for controlling material properties under extreme laser conditions.