Hole diffusion lengthsLwere determined for several Te‐doped GaAs crystals with electron concentrations ranging from 2×1016to 6.5×1018cm−3. The values ofLwere obtained by fitting experimental photoluminescence spectra to a theoretical expression which contains the measured absorption coefficients. This expression was derived from radiative recombination statistics, taking into account the reabsorption of emitted photons and the diffusion of minority carriers. The idea used by van Roosbroeck and Shockley of introducing the measured absorption coefficient by means of the principle of detailed balance is shown here to be valid for both nondegenerate and degeneraten‐type GaAs. It was found that the hole diffusion lengths are nearly independent of electron concentrationnforn< 1×1018cm−3. This result is attributed to a constant total hole lifetime associated with a nearly constant concentration of ``frozen‐in'' defects. Forn> 2×1018cm−3values for diffusion length decrease rapidly with increasingn. This decrease is attributed to the formation of additional defects associated with donor complexes or precipitates, or both. The diffusion lengths determined in this work are in good agreement with those found by Wittry and Kyser from the electron‐beam excitation method but are larger than those obtained by Aukermanet al. from short‐circuit current measurements onn‐type surface barrier diodes subjected to high‐energy electron bombardment.