Intraband Relaxation Dynamics of Charge Carriers within CdTe Quantum Wires

The state-to-state intraband relaxation dynamics of charge carriers photogenerated within CdTe quantum wires (QWs) are characterized via transient absorption spectroscopy. Overlapping signals from the energetic-shifting of the quantum-confinement features and the occupancy of carriers in the states associated with these features are separated using the quantum-state renormalization model. Holes generated with an excitation energy of 2.75 eV reach the band edge within the instrument response of the measurement, ∼200 fs. This extremely short relaxation time is consistent with the low photoluminescence quantum yield of the QWs, ∼0.2%, and the presence of alternative relaxation pathways for the holes. The electrons relax through the different energetically available quantum-confinement states, likely via phonon coupling, with an overall rate of ∼0.6 eV ps^-1.