Ultrafast laser irradiation of metals can often be described theoretically with the two-temperature model. The energy exchange between the excited electronic system and the atomic one is governed by the electron-phonon coupling parameter. The electron-phonon coupling depends on both, the electronic and the atomic temperature. We analyze the effect of the dependence of the electron-phonon coupling parameter on the atomic temperature in ruthenium, gold, and palladium. It is shown that the dependence on the atomic temperature induces nonlinear behavior, in which a higher initial electronic temperature leads to faster electron-phonon equilibration. Analysis of the experimental measurements of the transient thermoreflectance of the laser-irradiated ruthenium thin film allows us to draw some, albeit indirect, conclusions about the limits of the applicability of the different coupling parametrizations.

Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography Science Park 106 1098 XG Amsterdam The Netherlands

Center for Free Electron Laser Science CFEL Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron DESY 22607 Hamburg Germany

Industrial Focus Group XUV Optics MESA Institute for Nanotechnology University of Twente Drienerlolaan 5 7522 NB Enschede The Netherlands

Institute of Physics Czech Academy of Sciences Na Slovance 1999 2 18221 Prague Czech Republic

Institute of Plasma Physics Czech Academy of Sciences Za Slovankou 3 18200 Prague Czech Republic

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