Ultrafast Spectroscopy of Semiconductors and Semiconductor Nanostructures

Ultrafast spectroscopy of semiconductors and semiconductor nanostructures is currently one of the most exciting areas of research in condensed-matter physics. Remarkable recent progress in the generation of tunable femtosecond pulses has allowed direct investigation of the most fundamental dynamical processes in semiconductors. This second edition presents the most striking recent advances in the techniques of ultrashort pulse generation and ultrafast spectroscopy; it discusses the physics of relaxation, tunneling and transport dynamics in semiconductors and semiconductor nanostructures following excitation by femtosecond laser pulses.This subject is currently one of the most exciting areas of research in condensed-matter physics. Direct investigation of fundamental dynamical processes in semiconductors, exploiting the remarkable recent development of pulses with pulse widths less than 5fs, has led to new insights into fundamental physics and ultra-high-speed electronic and opto-electronic devices. This new edition presents the recent developments: femtosecond dynamics demonstrating quantum kinetics and higher-order correlations, measurement of the amplitude and phase of ultrafast nonlinear and linear signals, femtosecond coherent emission dynamics, and ultrafast dynamics of microcavities and lower-dimensional structures such as quantum wires and dots.