Unraveling Energy Flow Mechanisms in Semiconductors by Ultrafast Spectroscopy: Germanium as a Case Study

Semiconductor materials are the foundation of modern electronics, and their functionality is dictated by the interactions between fundamental excitations occurring on (sub-)picosecond timescales. Using time-resolved Raman spectroscopy and transient reflectivity measurements, the ultrafast dynamics in germanium are elucidated. An increase in the optical phonon temperature is observed in the first few picoseconds, driven by the energy transfer from photoexcited holes, and the subsequent decay into acoustic phonons through anharmonic coupling. Moreover, the temperature, Raman frequency, and linewidth of this phonon mode show strikingly different decay dynamics. This difference is ascribed to the local thermal strain generated by the ultrafast excitation. Brillouin oscillations are also observed, given by a strain pulse traveling through germanium, whose damping is correlated to the optical phonon mode. These findings, supported by density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations, provide a better understanding of the energy dissipation mechanisms in semiconductors.