Exploring Ultrafast Photoswitching Pathways in RbMnFe Prussian Blue Analogue
Giovanni Azzolina, Hiroko Tokoro, Kenta Imoto, Marie Yoshikiyo, Shin‐ichi Ohkoshi, Éric Collet
Abstract
Abstract We study by femtosecond optical pump‐probe spectroscopy the photoinduced charge transfer (CT) in the RbMnFe Prussian blue analogue. Previous studies evidenced the local nature of the photoinduced Mn III Fe II → Mn II Fe III process, occurring within less than 1 ps. Here we show experimentally that two photoswitching pathways exist, depending on the excitation pump wavelength, which is confirmed by band structure calculations. Photoexcitation of α spins corresponds to the Mn(d‐d) band, which drives reverse Jahn–Teller distortion through the population of antibonding Mn‐N orbitals, and induces CT within ≈190 fs. The process launches coherent lattice torsion during the self‐trapping of the CT small‐polaron. Photoexcitation of β spins drives intervalence Fe→Mn CT towards non‐bonding states and results in a slower dynamic.