Ultrafast coherent lattice and incoherent carrier dynamics in bismuth: time-domain results

Abstract

The investigations of transient electronic processes and their influence on coherent lattice dynamics in Bi by different femtosecond spectroscopy methods are reviewed. The results of broadband optical, x-ray, and ultrashort electron beam probes in the study of coherent phonons and incoherent carrier dynamics are compared. Some coherent phonon peculiarities arising at high excitation are described. The difference between phonons of different symmetries and various generation mechanisms are discussed, highlighting their assignment to the decay of particular excited electronic states of bismuth. Data analysis revealed significant wavevector dependence of electron–hole and electron–phonon coupling strength along the Г–T direction of the Brillouin zone. Comparison of the coherent amplitude as a function of the pump photon wavelength from 400 to 2500 nm for two different in symmetry Eg and A1g phonon modes with respective spontaneous resonance Raman profiles revealed that their generation mechanisms are quite distinct. Displacive excitation, which is the main mechanism for the generation of coherent A1g phonons, cannot be reduced to the Raman scattering responsible for the generation of lower symmetry coherent lattice modes.