Phonon-Wind-Driven Electron-Hole Plasma in Si

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Abstract
The spatial expansion of electron-hole plasma created by nanosecond pulsed-laser excitation of Si is examined by time-resolved luminescence imaging. On a several-nanosecond time scale, the plasma created by 0.5-μJ excitation expands from the excitation point at subsonic velocities, contrary to a fast-diffusing plasma model recently proposed to explain spectroscopic anomalies. For 50-μJ excitation, time-resolved images show a shell of plasma expanding at near-sonic velocities, indicating phonon-wind-driven transport with highly non-linear damping.