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Evidence of a photoinduced non-thermal superconducting-to-normal-state phase transition in overdoped Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$Ca$_{0.92}$Y$_{0.08}$Cu$_{2}$O$_{8+δ}$

Here we report extensive ultrafast time-resolved reflectivity experiments on overdoped Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$Ca$_{1-x}$Y$_x$Cu$_{2}$O$_{8+δ}$ single crystals (T$_C$=78 K) aimed to clarify the nature of the superconducting-to-normal-state photoinduced phase transition. The experimental data show the lack of the quasiparticles decay time divergence at the fluence required to induce this phase transition, in contrast to the thermally-driven phase transition observed at T$_C$ and at variance with recently reported photoinduced charge-density-wave and spin-density-wave to metal phase transitions. Our data demonstrate the non-thermal character of the superconducting-to-normal-state photoinduced phase transition. The data have been analyzed using an ad-hoc developed time-dependent Rothwarf-Taylor model, opening the question on the order of this non-equilibrium phase transition.