Optical Saturation Produces Spurious Evidence for Photoinduced Superconductivity in K${}_3$C${}_{60}$

Abstract

We discuss a systematic uncertainty in time-resolved optical conductivity measurements that becomes important at high pump intensities. We show that common optical nonlinearities can distort the photoconductivity depth profile, and by extension distort the photoconductivity spectrum. We show evidence that this distortion is present in existing measurements on K${}_3$C${}_{60}$, and describe how it may create the appearance of photoinduced superconductivity where none exists. Similar errors may emerge in other pump-probe spectroscopy measurements, and we discuss how to correct for them.

5 pages, 5 figures, supplemental material. v2: Some acknowledgments removed upon request. v3: Corrected an error in Eq. (5) and revised the affected figures and discussion accordingly. Added sections to supplemental material. v4: Updated title; other minor changes suggested by journal editors

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