The time evolution of the 1.54 &mgr;m Er3+photoluminescence intensity of Er‐doped silicon following a 30 &mgr;s excitation pulse is investigated. It is found that at 9 K, the 1.54 &mgr;m luminescence from Er3+continues to increase up to 50 &mgr;s after the pulse is terminated, when excess photocarriers no longer exist. This provides the first direct experimental evidence that a state in the forbidden gap of silicon acts as the gateway to the excitation of Er3+. Further analysis indicates recombination of bound excitons to be the most likely excitation mechanism. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.