ABSTRACT
The power of time-resolved optical spectroscopy is best illustrated using simple model systems. This chapter deals with the basics of carrier dynamics in bulk semiconductors and metals after ultrashort excitation; brief introductions to these subjects are given in Chapters 2 and 3, respectively. The discussion here will serve as a basis for understanding dynamics in more complex systems (some of which are discussed here as well as in other chapters). These systems were carefully investigated by ultrafast optical pump-probe methods, which provided the rst insight into ultrafast scattering events and carrier relaxation processes.
