We study theoretically the response of polymers to ultrafast XUV irradiation. To determine damage threshold doses of polymers from the alkene group, we use the hybrid simulation toolkit XTANT-3 [1]. The code models nonequilibrium electron kinetics, the energy exchange between electrons and atoms via electron-ion (electron-phonon) coupling, nonthermal modification of the interatomic potential, and the induced atomic response. For each of examined polymers, we demonstrate that nonthermal damage is the main mechanism of response to irradiation. At low doses, local defects are formed (hydrogen detachment, cross-linking), whereas with the increase of the dose, molecular disintegration leads to the formation of metallic liquid.
[1] N. Medvedev, V. Tkachenko, V. Lipp, Z. Li, B. Ziaja, 4open. 1 (2018) 3
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