Direct observation of the two-stage excitation mechanism of Er in Si
article
In Er-doped silicon we have found direct evidence for the formation of the Er-related intermediate state that is a precursor of the final 4f-electron excited state responsible for the 0.8 eV luminescence. Time-resolved photoluminescence following band-gap illumination shows disruption of this center by a THz pulse from a free-electron laser. The decay of the intermediate state could be directly monitored in this double-beam experiment and a lifetime of approximately 100 μs has been found. In this way the most characteristic step in the excitation mechanism of the Er ion in silicon has been revealed experimentally.
TNO Identifier
234716
Source
Physical Review Letters, 81(21), pp. 4748-4751.
Pages
4748-4751
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