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DOE OSTI · 2569469

Symmetry-protected electronic metastability in an optically driven cuprate ladder

Padma, Hari [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000306821849)·Glerean, Filippo [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000324996386)·TenHuisen, Sophia F. R. [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000243797035)·Shen, Zecheng [Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA (United States)]·Wang, Haoxin [The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ma Liu Shui, Shatin (Hong Kong)] (ORCID:0000000262013208)·Xu, Luogen [Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA (United States)]·Elliott, Joshua D. [Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot (United Kingdom). Diamond Light Source] (ORCID:000000020729246X)·Homes, Christopher C. [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)] (ORCID:000000017087756X)·Skoropata, Elizabeth [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)] (ORCID:0000000287741594)·Ueda, Hiroki [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)] (ORCID:0000000153057930)·Liu, Biaolong [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)]·Paris, Eugenio [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)] (ORCID:0000000234188828)·Romaguera, Arnau [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)] (ORCID:0000000190141533)·Lee, Byungjune [Pohang Univ. of Science and Technology (POSTECH) (Korea, Republic of); Max Planck POSTECH/Korea Research Initiative (MPK), Pohang (Korea, Republic of). Center for Complex Phase Materials] (ORCID:000000030785030X)·He, Wei [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000335223899)·Wang, Yu [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)]·Lee, Seng Huat [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000342543460)·Choi, Hyeongi [Pohang Univ. of Science and Technology (POSTECH) (Korea, Republic of)]·Park, Sang-Youn [Pohang Univ. of Science and Technology (POSTECH) (Korea, Republic of)] (ORCID:0000000215004384)·Mao, Zhiqiang [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000249203293)·Calandra, Matteo [Univ. of Trento (Italy)] (ORCID:0000000315052535)·Jang, Hoyoung [Pohang Univ. of Science and Technology (POSTECH) (Korea, Republic of)] (ORCID:0000000271609038)·Razzoli, Elia [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)] (ORCID:000000028893972X)·Dean, Mark P. M. [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000151393543)·Wang, Yao [Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000317360187)·Mitrano, Matteo [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000201020391)
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Abstract

Optically excited quantum materials exhibit non-equilibrium states with remarkable emergent properties, but these phenomena are usually transient, decaying on picosecond timescales and limiting practical applications. Advancing the design and control of non-equilibrium phases requires the development of targeted strategies to achieve long-lived, metastable phases. Here, in this study, we report the discovery of symmetry-protected electronic metastability in the model cuprate ladder Sr 14 Cu 24 O 41 . Using femtosecond resonant X-ray scattering and spectroscopy, we show that this metastability is driven by a transfer of holes from chain-like charge reservoirs into the ladders. This ultrafast charge redistribution arises from the optical dressing and activation of a hopping pathway that is forbidden by symmetry at equilibrium. Relaxation back to the ground state is, hence, suppressed after the pump coherence dissipates. Our findings highlight how dressing materials with electromagnetic fields can dynamically activate terms in the electronic Hamiltonian, and provide a rational design strategy for non-equilibrium phases of matter.

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCEmetastabilityone-dimensionaloptical dressingultrafast

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Padma, Hari [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000306821849), Glerean, Filippo [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000324996386), TenHuisen, Sophia F. R. [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000243797035), Shen, Zecheng [Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA (United States)], Wang, Haoxin [The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ma Liu Shui, Shatin (Hong Kong)] (ORCID:0000000262013208), Xu, Luogen [Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA (United States)], Elliott, Joshua D. [Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot (United Kingdom). Diamond Light Source] (ORCID:000000020729246X), Homes, Christopher C. [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)] (ORCID:000000017087756X), Skoropata, Elizabeth [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)] (ORCID:0000000287741594), Ueda, Hiroki [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)] (ORCID:0000000153057930), Liu, Biaolong [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)], Paris, Eugenio [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)] (ORCID:0000000234188828), Romaguera, Arnau [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)] (ORCID:0000000190141533), Lee, Byungjune [Pohang Univ. of Science and Technology (POSTECH) (Korea, Republic of); Max Planck POSTECH/Korea Research Initiative (MPK), Pohang (Korea, Republic of). Center for Complex Phase Materials] (ORCID:000000030785030X), He, Wei [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000335223899), Wang, Yu [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)], Lee, Seng Huat [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000342543460), Choi, Hyeongi [Pohang Univ. of Science and Technology (POSTECH) (Korea, Republic of)], Park, Sang-Youn [Pohang Univ. of Science and Technology (POSTECH) (Korea, Republic of)] (ORCID:0000000215004384), Mao, Zhiqiang [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000249203293), Calandra, Matteo [Univ. of Trento (Italy)] (ORCID:0000000315052535), Jang, Hoyoung [Pohang Univ. of Science and Technology (POSTECH) (Korea, Republic of)] (ORCID:0000000271609038), Razzoli, Elia [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)] (ORCID:000000028893972X), Dean, Mark P. M. [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000151393543), Wang, Yao [Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000317360187), Mitrano, Matteo [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000201020391). 2025-06-03. Symmetry-protected electronic metastability in an optically driven cuprate ladder. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02254-2

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗