Single-state measurement of electrical conductivity of warm dense gold.

We report on a single-state measurement of electrical conductivity of warm dense gold in the solid to plasma transition regime. This is achieved using the idealized slab plasma approach of isochoric heating of ultrathin samples by a femtosecond laser, coupled with femtosecond probe measurements of reflectivity and transmission. The experiment also reveals the time scale associated with the disassembly of laser heated solid.