Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 February 2011
Nanosecond structural changes in a crystal lattice during pulsed laser annealing have been measured using time-resolved Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED). LEED is both structure and surface (∼ 10Å) sensitive. Lattice temperatures can be extracted from Debye-Waller like extinction coefficients. Combining these with nanosecond time resolution provides a surface probe for short-time dynamical processes. The technique is used to observe the time evolution of a Ge(l11) surface during pulsed laser annealing. The results demonstrate rapid formation of a liquid layer and subsequent surface recrystallization and cooling.