Determination of intervalley scattering rates in GaAs by subpicosecond luminescence spectroscopy

We report a slow rise of luminescence in GaAs following subpicosecond photoexcitation and show that it results from a slow return of electrons from the L to the {Γ} valley. By fitting our data with an ensemble Monte Carlo calculation, we determine the {Γ}-L deformation potential to be (6.5±{}1.5)×{}10⁸ eV/cm. We show that the electrons returning to the {Γ} valley act as a source of heating for the photoexcited plasma. We further show the importance of electron-electron scattering and inadequacy of a simple phonon-cascade model, even at a density as low as 5×{}10¹⁶ cm^-3.