Time resolved dynamics of rapid melting and resolidification of Sb thin films under ns and ps laser pulse irradiation

The solidification dynamics of Sb films under different heat flow conditions, which are modified by varying the film thickness and the pulse duration, and fluence is investigated. The comparison of the behavior of these films with the case of Sb-rich GeSb ones makes it clear that relatively minor changes in the film composition can lead to big changes in the solidification dynamics under similar heat flow conditions that are beneficial for the application of such films in phase change optical recording with ultrashort pulses.