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Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Determination of the Excitation and Coupling Rates Between Light Emitters and Surface Plasmon Polaritons
Published on: July 21, 2018
Observation of standing waves of electron-hole sound in a photoexcited semiconductor
P Padmanabhan1, S M Young1, M Henstridge1
1Center for Photonics and Multiscale Nanomaterials, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA and Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1040, USA.
Abstract:
Three-dimensional multicomponent plasmas composed of species with very different masses support a new branch of charge-density fluctuations known as acoustic plasmons. Here, we report on an ultrafast optical method to generate and probe coherent states of acoustic plasmons in a slab of GaAs, which relies on strong photoexcitation to create a large population of light electrons and heavy holes. Consistent with the random-phase-approximation theory, the data reveal standing plasma waves confined to these slabs, similar to those of conventional sound but with associated velocities that are significantly larger.
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