Nonequilibrium carrier dynamics in bulk HPHT diamond at two-photon carrier generation

We demonstrate applicability of time-resolved free-carrier absorption and transient grating techniques for investigation of carrier recombination and diffusion features in a bulk diamond. Carrier injection into a 1 mm thick, IIa type high-pressure high-temperature grown layer was realized by two-photon absorption of ∼5 ps laser pulse at 351 nm wavelength. Kinetics of differential transmission in 80–800 K range at various excess carrier densities provided carrier lifetimes of 360 ns at room temperature and their temperature dependences. A linear increase of carrier recombination rate with injection in 450–800 K range resulted in carrier lifetimes up to 1 ns and was fitted by effective coefficient B* = 2 × 10−11– 4 × 10−9 cm3/s. The latter process was attributed to a trap-assisted Auger recombination (TAAR) with coefficient CTAAR = B*/NTrap and tentatively ascribed to nitrogen related traps. An ambipolar carrier mobility with its peak value of ∼1500 cm2/Vs at room temperature was measured by transient grating technique at ∼1.5 × 1015 cm−3 excess carrier density.