CM
In the literature: open
Why the light-induced superconducting-like state lasts nanoseconds
In plain words
The state in K3C60 survives for nanoseconds, thousands of times longer than the light pulse, which is hard to explain for a driven state. The mechanism of this long life is unknown.
Precise statement
Given a pump of duration $\sim 1\,\mathrm{ps}$ and a metastable state lasting nanoseconds well above $T_c$, identify what stores the nonequilibrium condition (long-lived phonon or orbital populations, structural metastability, or local heating with slow cooling) and predict the lifetime's dependence on fluence and temperature. Answer: a mechanism quantitatively matching measured lifetimes.
What would settle it
Time-resolved structural and optical measurements tracking the metastable state, with a model reproducing lifetime(fluence, T).
Related problems
- Special case of What is the photoexcited state of K3C60 above $T_{\mathrm{c}}$