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- ItemExchange-Striction Driven Ultrafast Nonthermal Lattice Dynamics in NiO(College Park, Md. : APS, 2021) Windsor, Y.W.; Zahn, D.; Kamrla, R.; Feldl, J.; Seiler, H.; Chiang, C.-T.; Ramsteiner, M.; Widdra, W.; Ernstorfer, R.; Rettig, L.We use femtosecond electron diffraction to study ultrafast lattice dynamics in the highly correlated antiferromagnetic (AFM) semiconductor NiO. Using the scattering vector (Q) dependence of Bragg diffraction, we introduce Q-resolved effective temperatures describing the transient lattice. We identify a nonthermal lattice state with preferential displacement of O compared to Ni ions, which occurs within ∼0.3 ps and persists for 25 ps. We associate this with transient changes to the AFM exchange striction-induced lattice distortion, supported by the observation of a transient Q asymmetry of Friedel pairs. Our observation highlights the role of spin-lattice coupling in routes towards ultrafast control of spin order.