We utilize ultrafast terahertz pulses to monitor the carrier dynamics in the high-TC superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta. The temperature, density and timedependence distinctly exposes a bimolecular recombination process of quasiparticles which underlies formation of Cooper pairs.

Using high sensitivity visible-pump/THz-probe spectroscopy we investigate the dynamics of the complex optical conductivity in optimally-doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d films directly after photoexcitation. The photoinduced change in the imaginary part, indicative of a reduction in the superconducting condensate density, saturates at higher laser-fluences and shows a complete destruction of the condensate.