Pushing the Auger limit: Kinetics of excitons in traps in Cu2O

We have measured the Auger recombination rate for excitons in Cu2O trapped in harmonic potential wells created by inhomogeneous stress. The rate is hi gher than assumed in most previous experiments, but consistent with the rat e reported recently by O'Hara et al. [Phys. Rev. B (to be published)]. We f ind that even given this rate, the orthoexciton density immediately after c reation in the well by a short laser pulse may be high enough for Bose cond ensation, and there is some evidence that this may occur.