Abstract

Scattering of a standing surface plasmon by rapid ionization in a semiconductor is investigated. We show that, for a standing plasmon, in contrast with a traveling plasmon, the scattering depends on the plasmon phase at the moment of ionization. By changing the moment of ionization, we can control the energy that is transferred into newly excited modes, which include a frequency-upshifted standing surface plasmon, transient outgoing radiation, and free-streaming currents with a static magnetic field in the semiconductor. The phenomena that are described open new possibilities for probing the dynamics of surface excitations in semiconductors on an ultrashort time scale.

© 2000 Optical Society of America

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