2D THz spectroscopic investigation of ballistic conduction-band electron dynamics in InSb

Abstract

Using reflective cross-polarized 2D THz time-domain spectroscopy in the range of 1-12 THz, we follow the trajectory of the out-of-equilibrium electron population in the lowbandgap semiconductor InSb. The 2D THz spectra show a set of distinct features at combinations of the plasma-edge and vibration frequencies. Using finite difference time domain simulations combined with a tight binding model of the band structure, we assign these features to electronic nonlinearities and show that the nonlinear response in the first picoseconds is dominated by coherent ballistic motion of the electrons. We demonstrate that this technique can be used to investigate the landscape of the band curvature near the Γ-point, as illustrated by the observation of anisotropy in the (100)-plane.