Pc. Findlay et al., Auger recombination dynamics of lead salts under picosecond free-electron-laser excitation, PHYS REV B, 58(19), 1998, pp. 12908-12915
Pump-probe transmission experiments have been performed on PbSe above the f
undamental absorption edge near 4 mu m in the temperature range 30 to 300 K
, using the Dutch ps free-electron laser. For temperatures below 200 K and
carrier densities above the threshold for stimulated emission, stimulated r
ecombination represents the most efficient recombination mechanism with rel
atively fast kinetics in the 50-100-ps regime, in good agreement with earli
er reports of photoluminescent emission. Above this temperature Auger recom
bination dominates, and the Auger coefficient C is determined from the pump
-probe decay curves. In the low-temperature regime the Auger coefficient is
determined from the decay curves at times beyond 100 ps. The Auger coeffic
ient is approximately constant (with a value of about 8 x 10(-28) cm(6) S-1
) between 300 and 70 K, and then drops a value of about 1 x 10(-28) cm(6) S
-1 at 30 K, in good agreement with the theory for nonparabolic near-mirror
bands and nondegenerate statistics. It is found that C for PbSe is between
one and two orders of magnitude lower than for Hg1-xCdxTe of comparable ban
d gap. [S0163-1829(98)07243-9].