Time-resolved plasma measurements in Ge-doped silica exposed to infrared femtosecond laser

Using a time-resolved interferometric technique, we study the laser-induced carrier-trapping dynamics in SiO 2 and Ge-doped SiO 2. The fast trapping of electrons in the band gap is associated with the formation of self-trapped excitons (STE). The STE trapping is doping dependent in SiO 2. The mean trapping time of electrons excited in the conduction band was found to be significantly lower in Ge-doped silica (75 ± 5 fs) when compared to pure silica (155 ± 5 fs). At our concentration level, this indicates that the plasma properties are determined by the presence of easily ionizable states such as the presence of Ge atoms in the glass network. Therefore, we suggest that in Ge-doped silica there exist an additional trapping pathway that leads to a significantly faster excitons trapping and a higher plasma density when compared to undoped silica. © 2011 American Physical Society.