title: Electronically driven fragmentation of silver nanocrystals revealed by ultrafast electron crystallography.
abstract: We report an ultrafast electron diffraction study of silver nanocrystals under surface plasmon resonance excitation, leading to a concerted fragmentation. By examining simultaneously transient structural, thermal, and Coulombic signatures of the prefragmented state, an electronically driven nonthermal fragmentation scenario is proposed.
authors.affiliation: Physics and Astronomy Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-2320, USA.
authors.forename: Ramani K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Raman
authors.forename: Ryan A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Murdick
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Worhatch
authors.forename: Yoshie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murooka
authors.forename: Subhendra D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Mahanti
authors.forename: Tzong-Ru T
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Chong-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ruan