Radiationless relaxation in solids as measured by a heat-pulse technique

Abstract
The heat resulting from the radiationless relaxation of electronic excitations in solids can be followed thermometrically on a submicrosecond time scale using a superconducting bolometer as detector. Details of the technique are described, and illustrated with the relaxation profiles of Cr(III) ion excited in Al2O3, LiTaO3, and MgO host lattices.