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Spontaneous C4-symmetry breaking phases are ubiquitous in layered quantummaterials, and often compete with other phases such as superconductivity.Preferential suppression of the symmetry broken phases by light has been usedto explain non-equilibrium light induced superconductivity, metallicity, andthe creation of metastable states. Key to understanding how these phases emergeis understanding how C4 symmetry is restored. A leading approach is based ontime-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory, which explains the coherence responseseen in many systems. However, we show that, for the case of the single layeredmanganite La0.5Sr1.5MnO4, the theory fails. Instead, we find an ultrafastinhomogeneous disordering transition in which the mean-field order parameter nolonger reflects the atomic-scale state of the system. Our results suggest thatdisorder may be common to light-induced phase transitions, and methods beyondthe mean-field are necessary for understanding and manipulating photoinducedphases.

Multi-mode excitation drives disorder during the ultrafast melting of a C4-symmetry-broken phase