We present results of ultrafast vibrational transient-transmission, transie
nt-grating and photon-echo experiments, performed with the infrared light o
f a free-electron laser on SI-H stretching vibrations in hydrogenated amorp
hous silicon. The observations indicate that the nature of the dynamics of
the local stretching mode is quite different from that of the same mode in
a crystalline environment. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv
ed.