[en] We studied the light-induced effects in BiFeO3 single crystals as a function of temperature by means of optical spectroscopy. Here, we report the observation of several light-induced absorption features which are discussed in terms of the photostriction effect and are interpreted in terms of excitons. The temperature dependence of their energy position suggests a possible coupling between the excitons and the lattice vibrations. Moreover, there are hints for anomalies in the temperature evolution of the excitonic features, which might be related to the temperature-induced magnetic phase transitions in BiFeO3. Our findings suggest a coupling between light-induced excitons and the lattice and spin degrees of freedom, which might be relevant for the observed ultrafast photostriction effect in multiferroic BiFeO3. Published under license by AIP Publishing.
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