Abstract

In the study of the interactions of ultrafast lasers with surfaces, a key parameter is the time evolution of the surface temperature. Typically, this is determined for simple systems using a solution of the heat-diffusion equation. It has been previously demonstrated that second-harmonic generation at surfaces could be used, when resonantly enhanced, as a surface temperature probe.¹ However, this approach does not offer a general technique suitable for different materials. Here we demonstrate the utilization of picosecond time-resolved reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) as a lattice-surface temperature probe.

© 1990 Optical Society of America