Hot-phonon effects in photo-excited wide-bandgap semiconductors

Carrier and lattice relaxation after optical excitation is simulated for the prototypical wide-bandgap semiconductors CuI and ZnO. Transient temperature dynamics of electrons, holes as well as longitudinal-optic (LO), transverse-optic (TO) and acoustic phonons are distinguished. Carrier-LO-phonon interaction constitutes the dominant energy-loss channel as expected for polar semiconductors and hot-phonon effects are observed for strong optical excitation. Our results support the findings of recent time-resolved optical spectroscopy experiments.