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Physical Review A

Light control of optical intersubband absorption and amplification in a quantum well inside a cavity

Ansheng Liu

Published Oct 1, 1997• 4 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We give a local-field calculation of the dynamic response of a single quantum well (QW) inside a cavity pumped by a strong light beam. The starting point of our theory is the microscopic Maxwell-Lorentz equation combined with light-induced nonlinear current densities associated with intersubband transitions in the QW system. The frequency- and space-dependent current densities are derived from the density-matrix formalism in a nonperturbative manner. Assuming only the electromagnetic coupling from the pump beam to the probe beam is important, we solve the wave equation exactly for both the pump and probe fields. In turn we determine the probe absorption coefficient of the QW structure. For a GaAs/Al${}_{0.33}$Ga${}_{0.67}$As QW placed between vacuum and a GaAs/AlAs distributed Bragg reflector followed by a GaAs prism, we calculate the probe absorption spectra for different parameters such as the pump frequency, the incident intensity of the pump field, and the cavity quality. Our results show that the optical absorption and amplification for the probe field are strongly dependent of these parameters. It is also demonstrated that it is of importance to take into account the dynamic screening effect for the pump field in the calculation of the probe spectra.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.56.3206

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IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society Annual Meeting (LEOS)•Dec 17, 2002•0 citations
We give a local-field calculation of the dynamic response of a single quantum well (QW) inside a cavity pumped by a strong light beam. The starting point of our theory is the microscopic Maxwell-Lorentz equation combined with light-induced nonlinear current densities associated with intersubband transitions in the QW system. The frequency- and space-dependent current densities are derived from the density-matrix formalism in a nonperturbative manner. Assuming only the electromagnetic coupling from the pump beam to the probe beam is important, we solve the wave equation exactly for both the pump and probe fields. In turn we determine the probe absorption coefficient of the QW structure. For a GaAs/Al0.33{}_{0.33}0.33​Ga0.67{}_{0.67}0.67​As QW placed between vacuum and a GaAs/AlAs distributed Bragg reflector followed by a GaAs prism, we calculate the probe absorption spectra for different parameters such as the pump frequency, the incident intensity of the pump field, and the cavity quality. Our results show that the optical absorption and amplification for the probe field are strongly dependent of these parameters. It is also demonstrated that it is of importance to take into account the dynamic screening effect for the pump field in the calculation of the probe spectra.
Taking as a starting point the Liouville equation for the one-body density matrix operator, a general expression for the third-order nonlinear current density responsible for the optical Kerr effect associated with intersubband transitions in a quantum well is derived by use of the perturbative expansion method. The nonlinear current density is related to the local field inside the quantum well via a nonlocal relation. By combining the field-induced nonlinear part of the current density with the Maxwell equation, a nonlinear integral equation for the local field is established. For a two-level quantum well, the integral equation is solved exactly. The nonlinear optical reflectivity, transmittance, and absorbance of the quantum well in turn are obtained. Numerical calculations of the light-induced change of the optical spectra are presented for a Al 0.5 Ga 0.5 As/GaAs/Al 0.5 Ga 0.5 As quantum well. The numerical results show that the optical reflectivity and absorbance decrease, and the transmittance increases as the optical intensity of the incident light is increased. In the case where the quantum-well structure is heavily doped, a notable light-induced red-shift of the location of the resonance peak in the optical spectra stemming from the combined local-field effect and field-induced population redistribution is predicted.
We study theoretically the time evolution of nonlinear optical phenomena of a probe electromagnetic field pulse in intersubband transitions of a semiconductor quantum well structure under the influence of a pump electromagnetic field. More specifically, we take into consideration the effects of electron-electron interactions and consider the interaction of a two-subband system with rectangular electromagnetic fields. The spectral form of the linear absorption, dispersion, and nonlinear optical Kerr effect is described, from the time that the external field is applied up until the dynamics of the system has reached a steady state. In order to describe the dynamics of the system, the effective nonlinear Bloch equations are used, in which renormalized terms for the transition energy and the applied field have been added, due to the effects of electron-electron interactions. These equations are properly combined, and the differential equations of the density matrix elements for the several optical phenomena up to third order are derived. These are solved numerically in the whole time range up to the steady state for a GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well structure. We show that the form of the several optical spectra studied here has a significantly altered evolution over time, according to the value of the frequency of the pump field and of electron sheet density. Even in the case in which the spectral form in the steady state case is almost identical for two different sets of parameters, their evolution can be quite different, according to the precise value of these parameters.
With a coherent pump laser coupling two electron levels in quantum wells, Coulomb and light-induced electronic renormalization is investigated according to the density-functional theory. On the basis of the renormalization, the optical response function for intersubband absorption of a probe light beam is studied. Both the electromagnetically induced transparency and the probe light amplification without inversion are observed. The influences of the pump field strength, frequency detuning, electron density, and δ-doping position are determined.
Optical interband excitonic absorption of semiconductor quantum wells (QW’s) driven by a coherent pump field is investigated on the basis of semiconductor Bloch equations. The pump field has a photon energy close to the intersubband spacing between the first two conduction subbands in the QW’s. An external weak optical field probes the interband transition. The excitonic effects and pump-induced population redistribution within the conduction subbands in the QW system are included. When the density of the electron–hole pairs in the QW structure is low, the pump field induces an Autler–Townes splitting of the exciton absorption spectrum. The split size and the peak positions of the absorption doublet depend not only on the pump frequency and intensity but also on the carrier density. As the density of the electron–hole pairs is increased, the split contrast (the ratio between the maximum and the minimum values) is decreased, because the exciton effect is suppressed at higher densities owing to the many-body screening.
Summary form only given. In this paper, we present coherent optical effects in a quantum well system with two electron subbands coupled by a pump laser. The Coulomb and light induced electronic renormalization is investigated with generalized density-functional theory. On the basis of the renormalized electron states, the absorption coefficient of a probe light beam is studied for intersubband transition by using a self-consistent field theory. Both the electromagnetically induced transparency (EMIT) and probe light amplification without population inversion are found.