  We present first systematic studies of the photoinduced phase transition from
the ground charge density wave (CDW) state to the normal metallic (M) state in
the prototype quasi-1D CDW system K0.3MoO3. Ultrafast non-thermal CDW melting
is achieved at the absorbed energy density that corresponds to the electronic
energy difference between the metallic and CDW states. The results imply that
on the sub-picosecond timescale when melting and subsequent initial recovery of
the electronic order takes place the lattice remains unperturbed.
