Nonthermal phase transitions in irradiated oxides

It is predicted theoretically that various oxides (Al2O3, MgO, SiO2 and TiO2) under ultrafast excitation of the electronic system exhibit nonthermal phase transitions. In the bulk, Al2O3 transiently forms a superionic phase via nonthermal phase transition, MgO and SiO2 disorder, TiO2 experiences solid-solid phase transition while thermal effects lead to melting. In the finite-size samples and near-surface regions, MgO undergoes solid-solid phase transition at lower doses than those required for atomic disorder. All studied oxides but TiO2, if allowed to expand, exhibit a lower damage threshold, whereas in TiO2 expansion releases the stress and prevents solid-solid phase transition thereby increasing the damage threshold up to the melting one. The results suggest that a nonthermal phase transition is a general response of oxides to sufficiently high ultrafast electronic excitation. A comparison with nonadiabatic simulations demonstrates that Born-Oppenheimer approximation systematically overestimates damage thresholds, and in some cases misses a phase transition entirely.