Energy relaxation of hot carriers in graphene via plasmon interactions

Energy relaxation of hot carriers in graphene is studied theoretically and experimentally at low temperatures, where the loss rate may differ significantly from that predicted for electron–phonon interactions. We show here that plasmons, important in the relaxation of energetic carriers in bulk semiconductors, can also provide a pathway for energy relaxation in transport experiments in graphene. Reflecting the linear nature of graphene’s bands, we obtain a total loss rate to plasmons that is independent of carrier density. This results in energy relaxation times whose dependence on temperature and density closely matches that reported experimentally.