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Plasma formation and relaxation dynamics in fused silica driven by femtosecond short-wavelength infrared laser pulses

Laser-induced plasma formation and subsequent relaxation in solid dielectrics is the precursor to structural modifications that are accompanied by a permanent alteration of material properties. The decay of the electron-hole plasma through distinct relaxation channels determines the properties of the resulting modification. Based on an experimental arrangement combining a time-resolved transmission measurement with a cross-phase modulation measurement, we isolate the plasma formation and relaxation dynamics in the bulk of amorphous fused silica excited by femtosecond short-wavelength infrared ($λ=\,2100\,$nm) laser pulses. Whereas the relaxation time of the generated electron-hole plasma was so far assumed to be constant, our findings indicate an intensity-dependent relaxation time. We attribute this intensity dependence to vibrational detrapping of self-trapped excitons.