Formation and decay of electron-hole droplets in diamond

Abstract

We study the formation and decay of electron-hole droplets in diamonds at both low and high temperatures under different excitations by master equations. The calculation reveals that at low temperature the kinetics of the system behaves as in direct-gap semiconductors, whereas at high temperature it shows metastability as in traditional indirect-gap semiconductors. Our results at low temperature are consistent with the experimental findings by Nagai {\em et al.} [Phys. Rev. B {\bf 68}, 081202 (R) (2003)]. The kinetics of the e-h system in diamonds at high temperature under both low and high excitations is also predicted.