Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Excitionic electroabsorption in quantum wells and bulk semiconductors

David A. B. Miller

Published Apr 26, 1987• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Electric fields in semiconductors can produce large changes in optical absorption, especially in the presence of excitonic absorption resonances. Strong room temperature exciton lines and novel electroabsorption processes in quantum-well structures have stimulated increased interest in this field.

Related papers

Excitonic electroabsorption in quantum wells and bulk semiconductors (A)

David A. B. Miller

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Feb 1, 1987•1 citation

Subpicosecond excitonic optical nonlinearities in quantum wells

M. Joffre, Daniele Hulin, A. Migus +2 more

Excitonic resonances in semiconductors are very sensitive to applied optical fields. We present here a comparison between the effects of resonant and non resonant optical excitation, creating respectively real or virtual excitons. A blue shift of the exciton line and a reduction of the oscillator strength are simultaneously observed in multiple-quantum-well-structures for the two following cases : presence of a population of real excitons in very thin wells (two-dimensional systems), or presence of an intense offresonance non absorbed optical field (virtual excitons) independently of the well thickness. The latter configuration (optical Stark effect) has been studied as a function of pump intensity, determining in particular how the saturation of the blue shift is related to the exciton bleaching.

Revue de Physique Appliquée•Jan 1, 1987•8 citations

Room-temperature excitonic nonlinear-optical effects in semiconductor quantum-well structures

D. S. Chemla, David A. B. Miller

We review the nonlinear-optical effects observed at room temperature in semiconductor quantum-well structures photoexcited near the band gap. A comprehensive discussion of optical transitions in these microstructures is given, including excitonic effects and the specific features of room-temperature exciton resonances. Experimental investigations using continuous-wave, picosecond-, and femtosecond-laser sources are presented. They show extremely efficient nonlinear processes. In the case of excitations that are long compared with the exciton-ionization time, the induced changes in absorption and refraction do not depend on the wavelength or on the duration of excitation. These changes depend only on the density of absorbed photons and are interpreted in terms of electron–hole plasma screening and band filling. In contrast, for ultrashort excitation, nonlinear processes depend critically on the excitation wavelength. The selective generation of excitons is found to produce effects larger than a plasma of the same density. This unexpected result is shown to arise from the low temperature of the exciton gas before it interacts with the lattice and from the decrease of screening that is the reduced dimensionality of quantum-well structures.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Jul 1, 1985•409 citations

How fast is excitonic electroabsorption?

Stefan Schmitt-Rink, D. S. Chemla, W. H. Knox +1 more

Many semiconductor light modulators rely on changes in excitonic absorption induced by electric fields. We study their temporal response in the framework of a one-dimensional model, for which we solve exactly the timedependent Schrödinger equation. For a homogeneously broadened system, the electroabsorption response time is found to be simply the inverse of the (field-induced) exciton linewidth, which can be as short as 50 fsec.

Optics Letters•Jan 1, 1990•65 citations

Quantum Coherence in an Optical Modulator

Sam Carter, Victoria Birkedal, C.S. Wang +4 more

Semiconductor quantum well electroabsorption modulators are widely used to modulate near-infrared (NIR) radiation at frequencies below 0.1 terahertz (THz). Here, the NIR absorption of undoped quantum wells was modulated by strong electric fields with frequencies between 1.5 and 3.9 THz. The THz field coupled two excited states (excitons) of the quantum wells, as manifested by a new THz frequency- and power-dependent NIR absorption line. Nonperturbative theory and experiment indicate that the THz field generated a coherent quantum superposition of an absorbing and a nonabsorbing exciton. This quantum coherence may yield new applications for quantum well modulators in optical communications.

Science•Oct 27, 2005•120 citations

One-Dimensional Frenkel and Wannier Excitons in Electric Fields: Stark Effect, Ionization, Polarizability and Electroabsorption

Thomas Garm Pedersen

One-dimensional semiconductors are characterized by strongly bound excitons. Therefore, the Frenkel regime of excitons localized within a few unit cells is readily reached and traditional Wannier exciton models become inadequate. In the presence of strong electric fields, excitons are polarized and, in extreme cases, ionized. Such strong-field effects have previously been described analytically for Wannier excitons. In the present work, we show that analytical results can be extended to the more involved Frenkel case as well. Hence, by analytically solving the difference equation describing Frenkel excitons in electric fields, we derive close-form expressions for resonances providing Stark shifts and ionization rates. Moreover, closed-form results for exciton electroabsorption spectra and dynamic polarizability are obtained.

arXiv:2601.09272•Jan 14, 2026•0 citations
Excitonic resonances in semiconductors are very sensitive to applied optical fields. We present here a comparison between the effects of resonant and non resonant optical excitation, creating respectively real or virtual excitons. A blue shift of the exciton line and a reduction of the oscillator strength are simultaneously observed in multiple-quantum-well-structures for the two following cases : presence of a population of real excitons in very thin wells (two-dimensional systems), or presence of an intense offresonance non absorbed optical field (virtual excitons) independently of the well thickness. The latter configuration (optical Stark effect) has been studied as a function of pump intensity, determining in particular how the saturation of the blue shift is related to the exciton bleaching.
We review the nonlinear-optical effects observed at room temperature in semiconductor quantum-well structures photoexcited near the band gap. A comprehensive discussion of optical transitions in these microstructures is given, including excitonic effects and the specific features of room-temperature exciton resonances. Experimental investigations using continuous-wave, picosecond-, and femtosecond-laser sources are presented. They show extremely efficient nonlinear processes. In the case of excitations that are long compared with the exciton-ionization time, the induced changes in absorption and refraction do not depend on the wavelength or on the duration of excitation. These changes depend only on the density of absorbed photons and are interpreted in terms of electron–hole plasma screening and band filling. In contrast, for ultrashort excitation, nonlinear processes depend critically on the excitation wavelength. The selective generation of excitons is found to produce effects larger than a plasma of the same density. This unexpected result is shown to arise from the low temperature of the exciton gas before it interacts with the lattice and from the decrease of screening that is the reduced dimensionality of quantum-well structures.
Semiconductor quantum well electroabsorption modulators are widely used to modulate near-infrared (NIR) radiation at frequencies below 0.1 terahertz (THz). Here, the NIR absorption of undoped quantum wells was modulated by strong electric fields with frequencies between 1.5 and 3.9 THz. The THz field coupled two excited states (excitons) of the quantum wells, as manifested by a new THz frequency- and power-dependent NIR absorption line. Nonperturbative theory and experiment indicate that the THz field generated a coherent quantum superposition of an absorbing and a nonabsorbing exciton. This quantum coherence may yield new applications for quantum well modulators in optical communications.
One-dimensional semiconductors are characterized by strongly bound excitons. Therefore, the Frenkel regime of excitons localized within a few unit cells is readily reached and traditional Wannier exciton models become inadequate. In the presence of strong electric fields, excitons are polarized and, in extreme cases, ionized. Such strong-field effects have previously been described analytically for Wannier excitons. In the present work, we show that analytical results can be extended to the more involved Frenkel case as well. Hence, by analytically solving the difference equation describing Frenkel excitons in electric fields, we derive close-form expressions for resonances providing Stark shifts and ionization rates. Moreover, closed-form results for exciton electroabsorption spectra and dynamic polarizability are obtained.